4 Reasons Why "The Brothers Bloom" Is As Good As I Expected

I was so excited to see this film, but even more excited by the fact that it was actually good! Here is why...

1. Rian Johnson's quirky, clever characters - It's your typical con-artist heist film, yet it focuses on the relationships and soul-searching characters which is what separates it from being mediocre (like The Italian Job). Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are inseparable brothers who learned from a very young age that nothing is given to you for free - that is unless you have a master plan. They team up with Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (yes, the same actress that gave that memorable, Academy Award nominated performance in Babel) in order to perform a multi-million dollar heist - the victim (although you can't really call her that for very long) is a lonely, eccentric played by Rachel Weisz. Rinko does another brilliant job as BangBang, a mute by choice who specializes in blowing stuff up, while Rachel is equally as satisfying as the girl who knows everything - and if she doesn't know something you better be sure she will find it out. These characters are lively and colorful which is what keeps the story alive. This is exactly what I expected from the writer/director of Brick - is Rian Johnson on his way to becoming one of my favorite filmmakers? I think so...

2. It's funny - Not so much laugh out loud, slapstick kind of funny - it's more subversive, clever and sarcastic humor. Surprisingly, the funniest moments were portrayed by Rinko - which is a huge accomplishment given that she says maybe 4 words through the entire film. Coincidentally, she doesn't speak in Babel either (as she plays a deaf girl) - I think she has found her niche. Ruffalo and Brody have great chemistry together with their quick and witty banter- I feel as though they could actually be related even though they have no physical similarities.

3. It's a love story that I can appreciate - Although, we are constantly wondering if Bloom is actually in love with Penelope or if he is just falling for his own con - the chemistry between them is just right. Their first introduction is awkward and clumsy just like their relationship. It's cute. Really.

4. Their wardrobes! - I don't know if it was a good thing that I was a little distracted it, but I really couldn't take my eyes off of that hat (that seems to be passed around to all of the characters at some point). In general, I loved both BangBang and Penelope's wardrobe - and I do think the costume design is an important aspect to creating memorable characters.