The Brothers Bloom (2008)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Rian Johnson

Writer (WGA):

Rian Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

22 May 2009 (Sweden)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They'd never let the truth come between them

Plot:

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

Plot Keywords:

Con | Eccentric | Book | New Jersey | Plan

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rachel Weisz	...	Penelope Stamp
Adrien Brody	...	Bloom
Mark Ruffalo	...	Stephen
Rinko Kikuchi	...	Bang Bang
Robbie Coltrane	...	The Curator
Maximilian Schell	...	Diamond Dog
Ricky Jay	...	Narrator (voice)
Zachary Gordon	...	Young Bloom
Max Records	...	Young Stephen
Andy Nyman	...	Charleston
Noah Segan	...	The Duke
Nora Zehetner	...	Rose
Ram Bergman	...	Himself
Craig Johnson	...	Apple Cart Vendor
Dubravko Jovanovic	...	Albino

Also Known As:

Penelope (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, some sensuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Czech | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44635) | Canada:14A (Toronto International Film Festival) | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Sweden:11 | Hong Kong:IIA | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Bar, Montenegro

Company:

Endgame Entertainment

Trivia:

Rian Johnson always intended Rinko Kikuchi's role as Bang Bang to be silent.

Quotes:

Stephen: The perfect con is one where everyone involved gets just what they wanted.

Movie Connections:

References Fast and Furry-ous (1949)

First Great Film Of 2009

This may be my first review of a movie for IMDb. Can't remember if it is or it isn't but the point is I don't normally feel compelled to write about movies on this website. I had the pleasure of seeing this movie in advance at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles this February. I had not yet seen Rian Johnson's previous film Brick, so going in I had no biased opinion about the director or any expectations about what I was going to see. Basically what I saw was a movie that had a great story to tell. And it knew it, so it acted accordingly. I don't think going into detail about the events in the movie will do anyone any good, so I'll stick to a vague approach here. The movie has a similar vibe to Wes Anderson's work, but only in a purely superficial sense. The plot is of the "caper" mold and concerns two sibling con men and their virtually mute sidekick on a quest to trick rich people out of a lot of money. The actors are all first rate. Adrien Brody is essentially the lead, but Mark Ruffalo and Rinko Kikuchi round out the main group of characters. That is, until we meet the real star of this movie. Rachel Weisz has always been great in everything I've seen her in, but she commands the screen in this movie like I've never seen before. I'd put her on an early shortlist for Best Supporting Actress at next year's Oscars. Ultimately this movie made such a strong impression on me because of how well her character worked for me and the strong chemistry she had with Adrien Brody. I strongly recommend you avoid details about this movie in order to get swept up by this wonderful story, like I did. This is a must-see.