Review of The Brothers Bloom (2008) by Steven B — 05 Feb 2010

I loved BRICK so much that I was a little afraid of this film. I didn't want to know that Rian Johnson had no more aces up his sleeve. Ironic that this was a central theme of his follow-up, and appropriate that it was in fact another ace.

In the end, it has the same problems as any entry in the con man genre; it's difficult to connect with the story or characters when you don't know from moment to moment what's real and what's manufactured.

But the whole thing is carried off with so much style and humor that it very nearly doesn't matter. Like THE STING, it's a finely-tuned watch, and it's simply a thrill to watch the gears turn and see the hands line up.