The Brothers Bloom
{4.5/5} “He writes his cons the way dead Russians write novelsĀ — with thematic arcs and embedded symbolism.”
Stephen and Bloom are brothers. They have been con men since they were kids and, along with their associate Bang Bang, they’re very successful at it. But Bloom wants out — he wants to live an unscripted life. Stephen tracks him down for one last con — a rich, eccentric, lonely woman named Penelope. But Bloom likes Penelope a lot — can he stay with the script?
The Brothers Bloom was released in 2008.
Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel Weisz are great, as always — here they have a lot to work with. The script is clever and funny. Rinko Kikuchi manages to do a lot with an almost completely silent role.
Like the character of Bloom, you’re not completely sure exactly what the deal is until the very end.
The playful music is by Nathan Johnson (Looper).
Brody (Detachment) plays Bloom and Ruffalo (The Avengers) plays Stephen. Kikuchi (Babel) plays Bang Bang and Weisz (Definitely, Maybe) plays Penelope. In case the narrator’s voice sounds familiar, it’s Ricky Jay (Tomorrow Never Dies).
The movie was directed by Rian Johnson (Looper). Johnson’s other movie is Brick, which I will likely watch sometime in the not-too-distant future.