The Brothers Bloom by Rian Johnson (2008)
19 January 2010I was really looking forward to this caper film because of it’s incredible cast, and impressive looking trailer, but after seeing it, can honestly say I was pretty let down by the film. Especially the ending, which I found pretty weak. The lead up seemed decent enough, but the film needed a real kicker of an ending to pull it off, and it did not at all. It just peters out. Not the caper film it should have been at all, which is too bad, because it almost had it. Quite a letdown actually.
The Brothers Bloom are orphan children, we have the older Stephen (Max Records, who grows up to be Mark Ruffalo) and his brother Bloom (Zachary Gordon who grows up to be Adrien Brody). The kids go through life pulling stunts on their peers, and trying to con all the money they can, which gets them kicked out of one foster home after another. They run a scam about a cave with a magical creature in it. They collect money and go and Stephen tricks them with lights, and Bloom gets caught up in the magic as well, until he sees his brother and the magic is broken. The children love it, but their parents don’t and they are forced to give the money back, but then we see the real con, which was taking a cut of the business from the local cleaner! And we see Bloom, have young love, but get pulled from it by his love for his brother, and then pulling into his self. 25 years later the brothers finish another Con, and Bloom wonders off, disheartened by his life’s lack of any real meaning, or any reality, as he is always playing someone else. He has no life of his own, and his brother chooses what he does, so he decides to finally makes good on all his threats to quit, and moves to Montenegro. 3 months later Stephen finds him and convinces him to come along with their other partner, the explosive loving Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi in the best role in the film) to play a huge last con. This con will be on a wealthy heiress from New Jersey named Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz). Penelope is totally socially isolated, having been told as a child she had life threatening allergies, which she in fact did not have. So she spent most of her life alone, and has read every book, and taught herself to do almost everything, but just has no social graces. Bloom agrees, and they head to New Jersey.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Stephen plans for Bloom to get in an accident that Penelope will cause, and get into her life. It does not work exactly as planned, but does work, and Bloom goes with her to her house, having a long conversation about her and her collection of hobbies ranging from photography to juggling. Bloom mentions that he and his brother will be leaving on a ship the next day.
Of course Penelope shows up and goes with them. On the long trip to Europe, a man that Stephen named Maximillen “The Curator” Melville (Robbie Coltrane) “accidentally” bumps into them. He tells Penelope how they are actually not Antique dealers, but Antique smugglers, and gets her hooked on a big smuggling job. They are to steal an ancient book from a museum in Prague and sell it to an Argentinian man.
Penelope convinces the Brothers to go, though that of course was the con, to get her to want to do it. In Prague they meet up with Maximillen, who gives them the location of the book, but cons Penelope out of a million dollars, which was the idea to begin with.
Penelope though decides to steal the book. Bang Bang is supposed to set off an explosion at Prague Castle to set off fire alarms and evacuate, but he explosion is huge, blowing up a whole tower, and causing the police to be called in, with Penelope inside.
Penelope gets the book, but tries to escape through a ventilation shaft and is caught, but somehow she convinces the police to let her go.
They return to their hotel, where Bloom runs into their former mentor, Diamond Dog (Maximilian Schell). He tries to get Bloom to leave Stephen to join him. Stephen shows up and stabs Diamond Dogs hand with a broken bottle.
They all head to Mexico to end the con. Bloom admits to Penelope that they are con men, but Stephen knew this would happen, and is waiting where the money is stashed.
Bloom and Stephen fight and a gun is accidentally knocked down and shoots Stephen, and he seemingly dies in his brothers arms. Penelope realizes that this was all faked, and leaves with a broken heart. And Bloom pissed at his brother leaves again for Montenegro.
After a few months Penelope shows up, having blown up her house, to join bloom as a Con artist. He loves her, so he agrees and they go to do a final con with Stephen.
They head to Russia to see the book to the Russian mob, and Stephen hired Diamond Dog to assist, but they are betrayed. Stephen is taken and ransomed for 1.75 million dollars.
Bloom is pretty sure he is being conned again, and they are just trying to steal Penelope’s money, but she sends the money anyway.
Bang Bang meanwhile has left the group, and disappears in a car bomb, but she had just showed up, an had promised to just leave one day as well.
Bloom goes to make the exchange in an old theater and finds Stephen beaten and tied up. Diamond Dogs men are there, and a shoot out ensues. Stephen once again dies in Bloom’s arms, but this time with Bloom asking if he is being conned in the perfect con.
Stephen gets up, and he is of course fine, and he conned him, and sends Bloom to go leave with Penelope.
In the car later, Bloom sees the blood stains turn brown, which only real blood does, not fake blood.
We see Stephen still in the theater, and he dies from his wounds.
Bloom realizes what has happened and is crushed, but he realizes that this is the perfect con from Stephen, because everyone got what they wanted. Bloom got Penelope, whom Stephen knew was perfect for brother, and Stephen wanted to make a con so real, it was real, making the love between Bloom and Penelope.
Bloom and Penelope leave into the sunset.
•••
Really a let down. Overly complicated, and without a good enough resolution. It really seemed to flail around by the end.
Not worth wasting your time on.
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