NMR: The Brothers Bloom

I've seen my fair share of con man movies, so I was pleased to see that The Brothers Bloom made a familiar genre seem fresh. This is in large part to some really terrific performances from this ecclectic cast. Rachel Weisz, in particular, brings an amazing energy to every scene she's in, playing a wealthy, but lonely woman, who confesses to "collecting hobbies". It is her involvement with the titular con men (played by Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Brody) that allows this film to break free of the conventions of this genre. Rinko Kikuchi and Robbie Coltrane also have a lot of fun with their supporting characters. Director Rian Johnson also tries to infuse a lot of style into this film, using light and touch to convey some of the film's themes. While I appreciated the effort, sometimes it felt like substance was being sacrificed for style. Overall though, this is a fun little film that I highly recommend to everyone. Rating: ****