On DVD and Blu-ray. PG-13
Rian Johnson's Brick is easily one of the best "first" films of the decade. His writing is undeniably clear and clever and his direction almost matches it. With his second film, he gets bigger stars and a much bigger budget. But he also tries too hard with the cleverness, making the film unnecessarily complicated which limits the overall effect. Bloom and Stephen grew up orphans with many foster homes. They discovered how to con at a young age and when they become adults, the older Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and his cons become more elaborate and Bloom (Adrien Brody) wants to retire.
They have been joined by Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), who only speaks 3 English words and is an explosives expert. Stephen finds their final mark, the ridiculously wealthy Penelope (Rachel Weisz) who will have quite an effect on Bloom. Brody is more relaxed and likable than he has been in a long time and Ruffalo gives his usual perfect naturalistic performance. Kikuchi has a near-mime role and her reactions to situations are frequently humorous. Weisz is fine as the distracted, eager shut-in, but she's much better at playing smart characters in control (The Constant Gardner). For some, the real stars of the film will be the 1940s costumes and the European locations. Johnson has a terrific eye for color and framing and a great ear for dialogue, but he also has a considerable knowledge of film history - recent or classic.
His use of Ricky Jay in the opening narration not only is appropriate for the con-man genre, but gives the other-worldy feel of Magnolia. Johnson also uses animated writing for the transitions that is straight out of Wes Anderson's playbook. His choice of music (both source and score) is perfect (my favorite being an opening credits use of The Faces' I'm Losing You). The cinematography is gorgeous and the visual effects (including many sunsets and sunrises) add to the overall rich feeling. It may be the most beautiful film of the year to look at, obviously more than Brick, which was intentionally drab and rainy. The Brothers Bloom is enjoyable throughout, but opts for a heavy ending which it doesn't really earn given the breezy atmosphere that precedes it. B+
Of interest, Johnson took the 3 main character's names from James Joyce's Ulysses.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Brothers Bloom - B+
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3 comments:
You liked this one quite a bit more than I. It is gorgeous and Ruffalo is great. I love Weisz, although I agree with your assessment. Brody was too melancholy for me and a bit of a beating. I feel Wes Anderson's influence well beyond the transitions, including the shooting of the bike and car accident with the emphasis on the banana seat, etc.... To me the whole thing seemed too contrived, and the ending was too much. I'd give it a B to B-, but there are definitely moments that I loved. Also, the interesting locales and costumes give the film a nice timeless feel.
I'll freely admit Rian Johnson is becoming a director I seem to like better than most people (like Peter Weir or Edgar Wright). I know there are problems with this one but I loved most of it and disliked very little.
This is great. B+ to A-. Beautiful and funny with great thematic elements and super performances. One of my favorite of the year.
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