The Brothers Bloom is a well-made film, that shows that this director certainly has a lot of talent, but like his first film, Brick, this film is all a great big (quirky) exercise in style over substance.
Everything stays on the surface. The plot is so complicated and muddled that after awhile, you simply stop caring. None of the steps in the cons are ever explained, or even hinted at, beforehand, none are particularly clear while they're being pulled off, and certainly none are touched upon after they've been completed. I was given so little chance to invest in the movie emotionally, that by the end, I felt nothing. Sometimes a film can try and do too much, without landing any one thing with enough punch to have an affect.
This film is like the lovely young model, who is pleasing to look at for awhile, until you realize there's not much depth beneath the surface.
For a great con-man film, done by a master filmmaker, check out Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men.
Everything stays on the surface. The plot is so complicated and muddled that after awhile, you simply stop caring. None of the steps in the cons are ever explained, or even hinted at, beforehand, none are particularly clear while they're being pulled off, and certainly none are touched upon after they've been completed. I was given so little chance to invest in the movie emotionally, that by the end, I felt nothing. Sometimes a film can try and do too much, without landing any one thing with enough punch to have an affect.
This film is like the lovely young model, who is pleasing to look at for awhile, until you realize there's not much depth beneath the surface.
For a great con-man film, done by a master filmmaker, check out Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men.