The Brothers Bloom starts out like a Wes Anderson flick and then morphs into something much much more. Adrian Brody and Mark Ruffalo are both well suited for the snappy dialogue required by Rian Johnson. And Rachel Weisz turns in probably my favorite performance of hers. Parts of the movie were cheesy as it seems Johnson is trying to almost be more conventional but there were so many memorable parts: Penelope trying to steal the artifact, Bang Bang's karaoke, Bloom's attempts to get to know Penelope, etc.
I think something major missing from Johnson's previous work, Brick, was a cinematic touch. Too often it looked like a jumbled mess. His second feature is much more layered and regal. The cast as previously mentioned is top notch and he manages to separate himself from the Wes Anderson niche by actually having an interesting plot. Like Duplicity before it, this film takes many twists and turns and sometimes overstays its welcome (I really thought it could have ended when Penelope uncovers the initial plot) but never ceases to entertain. On a side note, seeing Adrian Brody attempt to be happy when Bloom starts to enjoy life freaked me out. He needs to always have that scared, nervous look on his face.Grade: A-
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Picture
The Real Deal
Best Comedic Performance: Rachel Weisz's blissful Penelope
Best Scene Stealer: Rinko's mysterious Bang Bang
Best Music
Best Line: "I think you're constipated...in your fucking soul!" and "Oh fuck"
Best "Best Moment of the Film": Penelope's description of her hobbies
Away We Go, on the other hand, attempts to basically do an adult Juno. A woman becomes pregnant and tries to figure out a sense of who she is and what she should be doing with her life. Constantly trying to be a balancing act between absurdity and stark realism, this is probably Sam Mendes' best since American Beauty. As Jim Halpert(he will never be different to me) and Maya Rudolph travel around trying to find where their home is and whether they really are "fuck-ups," I became genuinely concerned and invested in where they would end up.
Essentially, the movie is a series of vignettes with a title card before each new location indicating what stage of their travels the couple is on. I take issue with people calling the movie pretentious. Basically, what critics take from the movie is that the couple only learns that they are better than everyone else. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Both Jim and Maya have their own separate quirks that endear them to the audience but also make the audience wonder whether this couple really should be in charge of a child. Sure every new person they meet is a complete caricature and is meant to show the audience that the couple is better off than them but the caricatures mean so much more to the couple. They represent the continuing journey home that the couple is trying to find. It's not so much that the couple is better than every family they meet, but rather that they wouldn't fit in to the environment that their friends are a part of.Overall, Away We Go is anchored by strong performances by Jim Hapert and Maya Rudolph and make the caricatures seem almost plausible. Reminiscent of a good Woody Allen comedy, the film juxtaposes comedy with drama and asks serious questions about true love, one's true home and true hilarity.
Grade: B+
2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:
Best Picture
The Real Deal
Best Actor: Jim Halpert
Best Actress: Maya Rudolph
Best Original Screenplay: Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida
Best Music
Best "Best Moment of the Film": The emotional climax on the trampoline
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