The Brothers Bloom

The problem with a film like ‘The Brothers Bloom’ – a self-consciously labyrinthine tale of con-men and comeuppance – is that it practically demands to be second guessed, with the result that any half-intelligent audience member is going to spend their time trying to anticipate the next plot revelation rather than simply enjoying the experience. It’s a shame, because the film has a solid pedigree: Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are sparky and fun as the titular ripoff artists trawling the world in search of easy money, while Rachel Weisz brings much-needed pathos to her role as their hapless, wealthy mark. Director Rian Johnson delivers the same energy he brought to his debut, the equally flawed but fun ‘Brick’, with some terrific music choices and fantastic globetrotting location photography. But it never amounts to anything much: Johnson is so intent on wrongfooting his audience that he consistently undermines his characters, and the revelations, when they come, are rarely surprising or unexpected enough to warrant the investment.