The Brothers Bloom Takes Viewers on Joyride
Starring Adrian Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz
Oct 26, 2008
Only the second feature from director Rian Johnson, The Brothers Bloom leaves 2005's Brick so far behind in the dust, audiences have to wonder what else Johnson has up his sleeve.
A Practical Plan
The first scene opens with a "once upon a time..." voice-over by actor and magician Ricky Jay, explaining the early life of Stephen Bloom and his younger brother, known simply as Bloom. The children have just begun life with their newest set of parents, and Stephen, the older and more calculating of the two, has sensed that his little brother has a crush. Stephen decides to construct a story with Bloom as the lead, as a way to push the boy to approach the girl he likes, and for the brothers to make some money. Thus begins their first con.
Now adults, the cons performed by the brothers have begun to create difficulties for the sensitive, romantic Bloom, played by Adrien Brody. Is he just performing a part that his brother has created for him, or are these feelings genuine? The brothers aspirations eventually begin to separate, with Stephen, played by Mark Ruffalo, fantasizing about pulling "the ultimate con," and Bloom pining for an "unwritten life."
Rachel Weisz Takes On Comedy
Rachel Weisz radiates onscreen as one of their cons, Penelope Stamp, an outlandish, lonely heir who “collects hobbies.” After a string of serious roles (The Constant Gardener, The Fountain, My Blueberry Nights) it’s great to have Weisz back in a comedic role, a capacity she’s always excelled at. Whether she’s juggling chain-saws or crashing another canary yellow Lamborghini, her wide-eyed innocent Penelope is intriguing and fascinating to watch.
Critically Acclaimed Freshman Film Leads to Bigger Opportunities
In an interview with Rebecca Murray, Johnson describes the film as a “Character-based con man movie. It's about taking the con man as a storyteller and a kind of fable fairy tale around that,” Johnson said. “For me, ultimately what it's about is that our lives are not escaping the story but just grabbing it and telling our own story.“
While Brick was made for less than $475,000, critical acclaim and the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival gave the film and its director a huge boost, which allowed Johnson to get a much larger budget ($20 million) and better-known cast for his sophomore film. The Brothers Bloom was shot in Prague, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. It will be released in limited theaters December 19th and worldwide January 16th, 2009.
The Brothers Bloom
Written and Directed By: Rian Johnson
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi
Run Time: 109 minutes
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