The Brothers Bloom
I'm not one for writing big, long-winded reviews, so I'll just say what I thought of the film. I just got through seeing for the first time not an hour or two ago, so I may still need to let it sink in for a bit. But anyway...
First off, I've never heard of the director, Rian Johnson. I looked him up, and he's only done one other film so far, which I've never even heard of. That doesn't really matter, I'd never skip out on a film that looked interesting because I'm unfamiliar with the director, but I point this out because I didn't really know what to expect from it, which is good. A lot of people (and by a lot I mean only two or three) have been saying that he's trying to be too much like Wes Anderson, which I didn't really see. The style was very unique, very stylish. This is also one of the first films I have seen were the clothing has really caught my eye.
So, now down to the story, characters, etc. Johnson said himself that he was trying to create a "character-based con man movie with an emotional payoff", and in that respect, I think he succeeded. Rather than have a duo that pulls cons for the hell of it, just because they can, the film does a better job of explaining why they fell into that world. I won't give anything away here, but the character element is really well done here, and it definitely comes as a more mature con man film. The characters were very convincing. I never for a second thought they were "written", none of the dialogue seemed forced or contrived, it all felt natural. Well, as natural as dialogue can sound from professional tricksters. Speaking of dialogue, I was very impressed with the character of Bang Bang (played by Rinko Kikuchi). She was a quirky character, sort of the comic relief, but rather than shoving her in your face, she is very subtle, as well as enigmatic. But Rachel Weisz's character is probably the heart of a lot of the film. She does a very good job of portraying an awkward shut-in, and her need for excitement and adventure adds a very lighthearted side to the film.
The movie has been somewhat marketed as a comedy, and trailers have really only shown the funny bits (though not all of them), but this is definitely a thinker film, I think. Very little is outwardly explained, leaving you to have to guess or piece together a lot of what really happened. The ending (again, not giving anything away), was something to ponder. It didn't wrap up like most films like this do, but it was still satisfying. Actually, right now I'm still trying to figure everything out, and for me, that's what makes a movie really good. Ones you have to think about, watch a few times to really understand. Everything is there, you just have to really pay attention to know what's going on. It's a film that you can discuss and debate, that that's always a good thing for me.
Um...if I had to rate it, I would give it 9/10 (which is good). Probably one of my favorite films so far this year.
First off, I've never heard of the director, Rian Johnson. I looked him up, and he's only done one other film so far, which I've never even heard of. That doesn't really matter, I'd never skip out on a film that looked interesting because I'm unfamiliar with the director, but I point this out because I didn't really know what to expect from it, which is good. A lot of people (and by a lot I mean only two or three) have been saying that he's trying to be too much like Wes Anderson, which I didn't really see. The style was very unique, very stylish. This is also one of the first films I have seen were the clothing has really caught my eye.
So, now down to the story, characters, etc. Johnson said himself that he was trying to create a "character-based con man movie with an emotional payoff", and in that respect, I think he succeeded. Rather than have a duo that pulls cons for the hell of it, just because they can, the film does a better job of explaining why they fell into that world. I won't give anything away here, but the character element is really well done here, and it definitely comes as a more mature con man film. The characters were very convincing. I never for a second thought they were "written", none of the dialogue seemed forced or contrived, it all felt natural. Well, as natural as dialogue can sound from professional tricksters. Speaking of dialogue, I was very impressed with the character of Bang Bang (played by Rinko Kikuchi). She was a quirky character, sort of the comic relief, but rather than shoving her in your face, she is very subtle, as well as enigmatic. But Rachel Weisz's character is probably the heart of a lot of the film. She does a very good job of portraying an awkward shut-in, and her need for excitement and adventure adds a very lighthearted side to the film.
The movie has been somewhat marketed as a comedy, and trailers have really only shown the funny bits (though not all of them), but this is definitely a thinker film, I think. Very little is outwardly explained, leaving you to have to guess or piece together a lot of what really happened. The ending (again, not giving anything away), was something to ponder. It didn't wrap up like most films like this do, but it was still satisfying. Actually, right now I'm still trying to figure everything out, and for me, that's what makes a movie really good. Ones you have to think about, watch a few times to really understand. Everything is there, you just have to really pay attention to know what's going on. It's a film that you can discuss and debate, that that's always a good thing for me.
Um...if I had to rate it, I would give it 9/10 (which is good). Probably one of my favorite films so far this year.