The Brothers Bloom 2008

Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies: Rian Johnson's clever, impressively shot film [features] outstanding work from [its] three leading actors. Read more

Jessica Reaves, Chicago Tribune: An awfully good time. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: The Brothers Bloom reveals a limited formal artist who relies on cutesy montages and a Cat Stevens song to glom onto borrowed emotion. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: It often seems precious and overconceived, its accumulating crosses and double-crosses as devoid of consequence as a child's backyard game. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Ruffalo turns in another take on his soulful smart guy; Brody's all loosey-goosey charm (watch how he plays a harmonica, with his eyes lazily sliding over it); Weisz make something poetic from her ditsy yet forthright character. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: Johnson sets viewers up for greatness, but ultimately offers much milder pleasures. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Rian Johnson's direction is as self-conscious as his script, but, helped by winning performances from Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz, it comes off as clever, even if the writing seems strained at times. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: A con game about con games, the second film from writer-director Rian Johnson is breezily enjoyable for about 10 minutes, until you realize the entire movie is going to be pitched at the same exuberantly manic pace. Read more

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: The irony is that outside of the manufactured oddities, Weisz's performance is the best thing in the movie: an old-school screwball turn of hypercurious pep. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Even if you don't quite comprehend the ending (there seem to be 12 of them), you'll still feel the wallop of its consequences. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: The writer-director builds on his tremendous gift for gab and fondness for intricate narratives. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The novelty here, and it's a good one, is that Johnson decorates and deepens the gamesmanship with tender shoots of family feeling. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: Ruffalo and Brody bring weight and a tinge of melancholy to the otherwise frivolous proceedings, though, by wisely underplaying their roles. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: The Brothers Bloom is to precocious adventure movies what Crank is to action throwdowns; it finds the genre's limit and doubles it. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The Brothers Bloom feels different from any crime caper you've ever seen, even though its machinations still revolve around con artists who play tricks on each other -- and the audience. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: That rare and wonderful thing: a movie lover's movie. Read more

New York Daily News: There's a tradition of cons in storytelling, yet not everyone can pull it off. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Imagine Dirty Rotten Scoundrels filtered through the increas ingly hermetically sealed sensibility of Wes Anderson, and you've got Rian Johnson's disappointing The Brothers Bloom. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: Annoyingly hammy and trite. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: It's all a con, but thanks to Johnson's way with characters and dialogue, we don't mind the hustle so long as we're rewarded along the way. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: These components add up to precious little in this precious affair too concerned with its look to say much worth listening to. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Scheduling blunders aside, this is worth seeking out because, despite its low profile, it offers the rarity of "summer fun" without the seemingly obligatory "dumb" appended to that descriptor. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: This movie is lively at times, it's lovely to look at, and the actors are persuasive in very difficult material. But around and around it goes, and where it stops, nobody by that point much cares. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: This is either going to sound to you like a high old time or a teeth-grinding exercise in forced frivolity, and that might sum up the appropriate range of responses to The Brothers Bloom. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: One question rings hollowly in the brain for the length this painfully twee romp: What hath Wes Anderson wrought? Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The leads have zero comedic skills, but you can tell they're being funny because they all wear sarcastic hats. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Although it's got a strong cast and visual panache, Johnson willfully dispenses with the caper complications that might have made it more fun. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: A globetrotting heist film that starts off terrifically and then progressively deflates. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: It's not blockbuster material, but this clever picture is a romantic -- and genuinely amusing -- charmer. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Ruffalo has some of the sharpest lines, and Brody's soulfulness is ideal for the role of a disillusioned introvert. With her enthusiasm, warmth and intelligence, Weisz is an inspired choice to play Penelope. Read more

Robert Koehler, Variety: As a pair of brothers raised to be topnotch grifters, Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are seldom allowed to play off of each other amid the film's breathless busyness and adoration for eccentricity. Read more

Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: Johnson has infused The Brothers Bloom with so much heart and beauty that one can and should easily overlook its discomfiting moments. Read more

John Anderson, Washington Post: A screwball comedy for the New Depression, "The Brothers Bloom" makes an abundant number of erudite references that mean almost nothing, and, like most con-man movies, it can't be trusted. Read more