October 24, 2009

#044: The Brothers Bloom

     I am not sure why I was so excited to watch this con-man movie written and directed by Rian Johnson. His first film, Brick, is touted by critics as an amazing film and work of art. I could appreciate what he did, and see why it could be considered an accomplishment, but for me the story fell flat. Brick seemed to drag through the middle, and the ending didn't pay off for me. I should probably watch it again, and maybe I will see the magic everybody is talking about. Like Brick, I knew nothing about The Brothers Bloom going in. However, I had a better idea of what to expect this time around.
     From the beginning of the film it is easy to appreciate the style and direction. It starts with a narrator telling us the beginnings of the brothers bloom in a rhyming, fairy tale like manner. I really enjoyed the style. It reminded me a lot of the television show Pushing Daisies, if you have ever seen that. As the movie progressed it was plain to see that it was going to have the same caveats as Brick. The film is focused on creating art with its beautiful scenery and costumes, and its unique dialog. There is an unmistakable look and feel it is going for, and it does that well. However, the story feels secondary, and is more focused on being symbolic and meaningful than interesting. The plot was enough to keep my attention, but it felt messy and I didn't completely follow it, nor did I really care to. The story was tedious at times, and without the amazing visuals it would have been tough to get through. I am glad I watched this movie, but I doubt I will ever watch it again. This movie is designed to appeal to a certain audience that I don't fit in to. I think people that want to seem more cultured and artistic will really get behind this film, but it cannot be a main-stream success. I liked it, appreciated it, and will agree that it was a nice piece of art... however, it wasn't that good of a movie.
-deric

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