THE BROTHERS BLOOM – Reviewed by J.D.

The word of the day is ‘anachronism.’

I’ll trust that you know what the word means; if not, put simply, let’s call it ‘not of its time.’ Bloom writer/director Rian Johnson, I can assure you, knows exactly what the word means; both of his films-the earlier, Brick, and his latest, The Brothers Bloom-are what one could lazily call ‘genre’ pictures, because of their close, and no doubt intentional, resemblance to films of an earlier era. Brick is a 1940′s noir conceit strapped to a modern day high school crime drama, and Bloom a beguiling, comedic revisiting of the caper film, which has roots even earlier still. While it’s hardly unique to reconstruct these concepts on a modern day set, what sets Johnson’s work ahead of the pack so far is his clear love not only for the films of those eras, but for the language of them.

What makes Bloom an anachronism, and doubly if not triply so at times, is that it seems to mix and mash so many genres at once. Screwball comedy, potboiler intrigue, romance, and, inevitably, tragedy all play their roles, and the film itself seems to be set in a time indeterminate; as is the case with Wes Anderson‘s films, you are never quite sure when the story is meant to be taking place, as modernity only is allowed a passing glance as a reference point before it’s sent, sulking, on its way. The film stars Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo as the titular brothers, who we first meet as wayward, scheming orphaned children working their way through a number of foster homes in a comical setting that feels as though it’s set in the 1930′s (Dead End Kids, perhaps?). We are then sent flash forward to the end of a con the brothers are playing as adults, in Europe. Once it’s over with, we then learn of the differences the brothers share in their approaches to the lives they’ve chosen, and which sets in motion the crux of the underlying context of the film.

Bloom (Brody, whose heavy-lidded acting in recent years makes it appear as though his Oscar must weigh on him like an anvil) and Stephen (Ruffalo, charming and deceptive as the best ‘gentleman’ thieves should be), are abetted in their schemes by Bang Bang, an apparition of cool played marvelously by Rinko Kikuchi as though a comedienne of the silent age. Bloom, an empty vessel bound unhappily to his brother, wants out. Stephen convinces him to do one last con: a grift of an eccentric, orphaned heiress named Penelope (Rachel Weisz, who has never been more appealing). Once the wheels of the elaborate ruse are underway, Bloom soon finds himself falling, as any human being would, for the sweet-natured dupe. Penelope, who believes the brothers to be antique smugglers, soon finds herself falling for the excitement of the adventure which lies ahead, which is helped to no end by the appearance of the mysterious ‘Curator’, played by Robbie Coltrane as though straight out of an Angela Christie story. As all great con/caper stories go, it all goes hopelessly cockeyed, and also gets a bit confusing. There is a tendency to overwrite these types of stories, and Johnson is no different, but the wit and pleasure of the words and the actors who are saying them help to overcome some of the dry spells which befall the script at times. It also takes a bit of a left turn near the end which some have disliked, although I accepted it merely for the appreciation of taking the road less traveled.

The performances are all quite good, and while Johnson, a writer at heart, shows little unique style as a framer of scenes, the image of Ms. Weisz in a bowler hat is worthy of the Louvre. But then again, I’m a bit of an anachronism myself at times. Gratefully. – [DVD]

Adventure/Comedy/Crime/Drama/Romance

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 9/29/09