The Brothers Bloom is inventive, but its relentless cleverness limits its emotional pull.
CommentJun 16, 2010
The Brothers Bloom (2008)
65
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:93
Rotten:50
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Despite strong performances The Brothers Bloom ultimately does not fulfill its lofty ambitions.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.
Genre: Action & Adventure, Romance, Drama, Comedy
Theatrical Release: May 15, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $3.5M
Synopsis: The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take... [More]
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi
Director: Rian Johnson
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REVIEWS FOR THE BROTHERS BLOOM
We feel regularly discombobulated on the sea of this movie’s ideas — which is a good thing for people feeling marooned by the general stupidity of this summer’s film releases.
Jun 9, 2010
If Wes Anderson and Terry Gilliam ever had a child, science would be amazed and appalled. But also, it would probably end up making a film like this.
Jun 9, 2010
The eccentric humour is an acquired taste and the contrived story overstays its welcome.
Jun 7, 2010
Johnson's script and directing style suffocates the duo with too many cookie-cutter indie movie quirks, making it all too easy to spot the joins and lose interest...
Jun 7, 2010
It's one of those films whose fun set-up is terrific, only to be offset by the muddled plot. Still, there are some decent laughs amid the mess.
Jun 4, 2010
Sharp, funny and stylish, but still, something doesn't quite fit...
Jun 4, 2010
The effect is something like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels done by Wes Anderson in a morose mood, much as its creator would presumably resist the latter comparison.
Jun 3, 2010
Like his brooding anti-hero, Johnson keeps one step ahead and, at the same time, wears his heart on his sleeve. It's tough not to fall for such charm.
Jun 3, 2010
Oh dear.
Jun 3, 2010
It lags a touch towards the end and it's ultra quirky, but the artifice doesn't rob the finale of emotion. In fact, it delivers unexpected rewards.
Jun 3, 2010
Brody and Ruffalo are perfectly cast as the titular brothers, but the film is stolen by its female element, with both Weisz and Rinko Kikuchi on fine comic form.
Jun 2, 2010
Blooming good fun.
Jun 2, 2010
Perhaps you can be too cool for school and too clever for a multiplex, but if you’re willing to go along with this, you’ll enjoy being fooled so much that you won’t mind it’s all a trick.
Jun 2, 2010
It's a charming fantasy of a con movie that is less interested in the well played con than the colorfully executed idea of a con, among other things.
Jan 13, 2010
Now I know what it's like for those buzz killers who complain about Wes Anderson films.
Dec 4, 2009
A tale full of heart, heroism and old school fun, that with the addition of just a few witty zingers could have been one of the great films of the year.
Nov 15, 2009
It's the kind of wry, picturesque fable that recalls the work of Hal Ashby, with the difference that the late, great master had the red blood of political conviction running through his veins. This is a bloodless corpse by comparison.
Nov 12, 2009
This is the kind of "movie movie" that puts everything in quotation marks, letting Johnson indulge his most romantic daydreams.
Nov 12, 2009
The film is stuffed with visual gags, only some of which hit the spot. When Weisz is on screen even the more contrived of these seem forgivable.
Nov 12, 2009
LATEST NEWS FOR THE BROTHERS BLOOM
May 22, 2009:
Nathan Johnson Talks Brothers Bloom Score
Discerning fans of movie music are already well acquainted with Nathan Johnson's quirky, absorbing work -- but chances are, you haven't heard him talk about his craft the way he does in a new chat...
More...
May 14, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Angels & Demons Isn't Quite Heavenly
This week at the movies, Robert Langdon is back on the case, investigating shadowy machinations around the Catholic Church in Angels & Demons, starring Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor. What do the critics...
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May 13, 2009:
Five Favorite Films With Director Rian Johnson
With Brick, Rian Johnson established himself as a filmmaker to watch. An audacious debut, it made use of a classic film noir plotline within a contemporary high school setting, and helped establish...
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April 8, 2009:
Trailer Bulletin: The Brothers Bloom
After an extended wait, Rian Johnson's "The Brothers Bloom" will finally reach theaters in May -- and to celebrate, it's got a brand new trailer.
More...
February 18, 2009:
Rian Johnson Hosting Early Brothers Bloom Screening Tonight
Want to catch an early screening of "The Brothers Bloom," meet the director, and possibly win some cool stuff in a charity raffle? Be at L.A.'s New Beverly Cinema tonight for the 7 o'clock show!
More...
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| 19% | Cop Out |
| 28% | Clash of the Titans |
| 67% | Date Night |
| 7% | The Bounty Hunter |
| 75% | Kick-Ass |
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| 65% | Bent |
