Running time: 109 minutes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane
Rating 5 out of 10
Director Rian Johnson made a name for himself with his 2005 debut Brick, a smart and sassy update of the film noir genre which went down a storm at film festivals all over the world. Now he returns with his take on the scam movie, and while The Brothers Bloom blossoms briefly, it ultimately wilts under the weight of its own hipness and a rather confusing storyline.
Two of the key things you need to do in order to make a satisfying heist or scam film are a) have your audience identify with the protagonists even though they might be involved in something illegal and b) make your scam complex but satisfying. Unfortunately for Johnson, he doesn't really succeed completely in either of these areas . We are told in no uncertain terms early on that the brothers of the title (played well enough by the two charismatic actors Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody) are the greatest conmen the world has ever seen. But being told is one thing: seeing and working this out for ourselves would have been so much more rewarding.
We follow these two quirky brothers around - all dressed in black, spouting dialogue that never really seems that believable, and accompanied by a silent Asian femme fatale - until they hit upon the prize of their lifetime in the shape of wealthy heiress Rachel Weisz. One of them wants to rip her off while the other wants to fall in love with her. The three central performances are certainly committed and pleasant enough to watch but the actual characters they are given, as well as their motivation, lack credibility.
As the plot shifts from country to country there is much to admire in Steve Yedlin's cinematography which is sumptuous and eye-catching. But as a whole, The Sting or The Grifters this is not, despite trying very hard to have a little of the magic of both .
Paul Hurley
Two of the key things you need to do in order to make a satisfying heist or scam film are a) have your audience identify with the protagonists even though they might be involved in something illegal and b) make your scam complex but satisfying. Unfortunately for Johnson, he doesn't really succeed completely in either of these areas . We are told in no uncertain terms early on that the brothers of the title (played well enough by the two charismatic actors Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody) are the greatest conmen the world has ever seen. But being told is one thing: seeing and working this out for ourselves would have been so much more rewarding.
We follow these two quirky brothers around - all dressed in black, spouting dialogue that never really seems that believable, and accompanied by a silent Asian femme fatale - until they hit upon the prize of their lifetime in the shape of wealthy heiress Rachel Weisz. One of them wants to rip her off while the other wants to fall in love with her. The three central performances are certainly committed and pleasant enough to watch but the actual characters they are given, as well as their motivation, lack credibility.
As the plot shifts from country to country there is much to admire in Steve Yedlin's cinematography which is sumptuous and eye-catching. But as a whole, The Sting or The Grifters this is not, despite trying very hard to have a little of the magic of both .
Paul Hurley
