The Brothers Bloom

How does one follow up the eye bleedingly action packed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (that’s a complement) and the faux-intelligence filledWhatever Works? With Rian Johnson’s upbeat, fun, and very modern con-man/heist movie, The Brothers Bloom.

For those who don’t know Johnson, he’s the director of 2005’s Brick, a movie you should immediately add to your Netflix queue if you haven’t seen it. Despite the differences between themes and tones of TBB and Brick,Johnson’s mastery of filmmaking and story telling is extremely evident. He’s one of those directors that even if you don’t love the movie, you can tell how talented he is and that he is really going to be something special in the years to come.

From the first shot of the movie, you can see Johnson’s style imposed on the film. Similar to how I mentioned the world Bay creates in my T:RotF review, Johnson’s films are not set in the real world. The world of TBB is very simple, and harkens back to the world as it was depicted in older movies. For those people out there who are unwilling to accept this lack of realism and refuse to suspend their disbelief, this is not the movie for you. From the way the brothers are dressed, to the way they act, to the film’s opening voice-over, there is a very distinct and fun tone to the movie.

I don’t want to go into the plot really at all, since it’s one of those movies that is best viewed fresh (that’s how I saw it). I will say that Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody play the title characters and both of them are really spectacular playing the vastly different brothers. Ruffalo conveys Stephen’s swagger and truly exudes confidence and cool the entire movie, while showing flashes of anger and rage when his brother is threatened. Brody on the other hand is quiet and apprehensive. He also has the task of having to play a character who spends a great deal of time acting. It takes a lot of talent to convey to the audience when the character is acting and when the character is no longer acting. Rachel Weisz is also fantastic. She behaves like a child at times, trapped in a grown woman’s body, but does so in a way that still allows the character to feel real and not just a gimmick.

Although the performances are great, where the film really excels is Johnson’s direction. The cinematography calls attention to itself, but in a good way, almost like it has a life of it’s own. Unlike some directors, who opt for very simply and calculated shots (David Cronenberg for example), Johnson shoots this movie almost as art and it is truly a joy to watch a filmmaker so in control of his craft. Even the editing isn’t done simply, but rather in an ornate and fun way (ie cutting between characters telling the same story). I’m also not one who usually raves about a score (I’ll only comment if it detracts from the film), but the music in this film was great. Like the cinematography, it calls attention to itself and really helps to set the mood.

Despite all the praises I’m pouring onto this movie, I don’t love it. I think it’s very good, especially for Johnson’s second film, but I just can’t bring myself to love it. Maybe it’s the expectations, but I wanted more. For all the lavish filmmaking, the story seems overly simple and did not enthrall me. I saw most of the tricks and reversals coming and there was nothing from a story telling standpoint that lived up to the way the movie was put together. For that reason, I’m really only recommending this to viewers who can appreciate all of the previously listed filmmaking techniques. It’s still worth watching for anyone out there who is a fan of movies, but you likely won’t be blown away by it.