it has been said that rian johnson's ''the brothers bloom'' his follow up to 2006's ''outstanding debut ''brick'' represents a genre that is largely ignored in this day and age, in the shape of the con-artist expose, and i would largely be inclined to agree, although i would possibly argue that this film is more reminiscent of the sort of deceit seen in a more emotional form in a film like wes anderson's ''the life aquatic'' (2005) than in something like ''the sting'' (1973). of course the plot conceit is that of one of the literal sort of cons and the accompanying storytelling, but a big part of me left the film under the impression that the central line of the con was intended more as an emotional or pure target, explored blatantly throughout in the relationship of the central characters (the brothers bloom of the title).
visually the film was pitch perfect. it comes across as a more developed and cinematic version of that of wes anderson, and very similiar to that of hal ashby. the use of slow motion was surprisingly refreshing, an age old technique that felt modern and interesting.
the whole way through the film the truth was kept one step ahead of the audience, quite a feat considering the savvy of modern viewers. this structure meant for a tense journey throughout the film, as we didnt know what to believe at any one point. the ending of the picture was genuinely moving, again reminiscent of the work of wes anderson. its worth pointing out that the comparisons to anderson are in no way derogatory, nor do i want them to be considered lazy. as a huge admirer of anderson i have long found it difficult to enjoy the slew of post-anderson pseudo-quirky american dramadies, films such as the dreaded napoleon dynamite or little miss sunshine, so for me to actively enjoy the brothers bloom is something of a major seal of approval.
adrian brody, an actor whom i consider to be one of the most consistent performers working in cinema today is a true delight as the eponymous bloom, with mark ruffalo lending credible support. rachel weisz is outstanding as the ditzy millionairess, a genuine revelation and im surprised there hasnt been more awards talk. production wise the film is a strong evolution for johnson, apparently hes turning his hand to a studio-backed science fiction film next, which will be an interesting experiment if nothing. johnson was on hand for a question and answer section afterwards and proved to be a genuinely nice guy. he sheltered from the rain outside of the cinema just several feet away from myself afterwards too, my girlfriend wanting to pester the poor guy into explaining why tom cruise was thanked in the closing credits.
im not sure when the film is actually out in the uk, its probably sometime in the new year.
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