This is the kind of "movie movie" that puts everything in quotation marks, letting Johnson indulge his most romantic daydreams.
Comment
11/12/09
The Brothers Bloom (2009)
48
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:14
Rotten:15
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Despite strong performances The Brothers Bloom ultimately does not fulfill its lofty ambitions.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Nov 30, 1999 Wide
US Box Office: $3,479,844
Synopsis: Though THE BROTHERS BLOOM seems to be equal parts THE STING and THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, director Rian Johnson's second feature is still strikingly original. Adrien Brody (KING KONG) and Mark Ruffalo... [More]
Starring: Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi
Director: Rian Johnson
Reviews for The Brothers Bloom
1 - 17 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Top CriticThis is a beautiful film in many ways. It looks great, the performances are just a delight, Rachel Weisz is absolutely bewitching, it’s funny and funky, eccentric and romantic.
11/11/09
Top CriticFull of invigorating twists and turns, filled with a unique style and wit, also, the whole ultimately suffers due to a too-neat conclusion.
11/11/09
Top CriticThis eccentric affair pretty much gets away with everything it tries, save for the occasional muffed joke and sudden mood swing.
11/11/09
Top CriticIf not for Rachel Weisz, the movie would be too literary, too clever, too pleased with itself. Her character makes it emotional, although she's not the main focus.
11/09/09
Top CriticJohnson’s shaggy dog runs here, there, and everywhere, weaving joyous, confusing circles in exotic locations before romping home with an unexpected wallop.
11/08/09
Top CriticThe first hour especially grabs our attention before disintegrating into a swirl of confusion. We expect the lines between reality and fantasy to become blurred, but we do need to have a stake in the characters or at least believe in their reality
11/06/09
Top CriticA tale full of heart, heroism and old school fun, that with the addition of just a few witty zingers could have been one of the great films of the year.
11/15/09
Top CriticIt's the kind of wry, picturesque fable that recalls the work of Hal Ashby, with the difference that the late, great master had the red blood of political conviction running through his veins. This is a bloodless corpse by comparison.
11/12/09
Top CriticThe film is stuffed with visual gags, only some of which hit the spot. When Weisz is on screen even the more contrived of these seem forgivable.
11/12/09
Top CriticA screwball comedy for the New Depression, "The Brothers Bloom" makes an abundant number of erudite references that mean almost nothing, and, like most con-man movies, it can't be trusted.
05/22/09
Top CriticThis movie is lively at times, it's lovely to look at, and the actors are persuasive in very difficult material. But around and around it goes, and where it stops, nobody by that point much cares.
05/21/09
Top CriticRuffalo has some of the sharpest lines, and Brody's soulfulness is ideal for the role of a disillusioned introvert. With her enthusiasm, warmth and intelligence, Weisz is an inspired choice to play Penelope.
05/15/09
Top CriticThe irony is that outside of the manufactured oddities, Weisz's performance is the best thing in the movie: an old-school screwball turn of hypercurious pep.
05/15/09
Top CriticBeyond that your response to the movie, which takes too conspicuous a delight in its own cleverness, is likely to be a shrug and a "so what?"
05/15/09
Top CriticMark Ruffalo’s elaborate stings are so beautifully conceived that it is difficult to know where real life ends and make-believe begins.
05/05/09
Top CriticAs a pair of brothers raised to be topnotch grifters, Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are seldom allowed to play off of each other amid the film's breathless busyness and adoration for eccentricity.
09/10/08
Top Critic1 - 17 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Latest News for The Brothers Bloom
May 22, 2009:
Nathan Johnson Talks Brothers Bloom Score 
Discerning fans of movie music are already well acquainted with Nathan Johnson's quirky, absorbing work -- but chances are, you haven't heard him talk about his craft the way he... More...
May 14, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Angels & Demons Isn't Quite Heavenly
This week at the movies, Robert Langdon is back on the case, investigating shadowy machinations around the Catholic Church in Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks and Ewan... More...
May 13, 2009:
Five Favorite Films With Director Rian Johnson
With Brick, Rian Johnson established himself as a filmmaker to watch. An audacious debut, it made use of a classic film noir plotline within a contemporary high school setting,... More...
April 08, 2009:
Trailer Bulletin: The Brothers Bloom
After an extended wait, Rian Johnson's "The Brothers Bloom" will finally reach theaters in May -- and to celebrate, it's got a brand new trailer. More...
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