THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2009, Blu-ray released October 6, 2009 - MSRP $39.99 CAN)
I have so much to say about The Brothers Bloom that I can’t possibly fit it all into a short Blu-ray disc review. What a fantastic, smart, funny film! And what a fine, feature rich Blu-ray disc, already available for sale here in Canada!
The Brothers Bloom is Rian Johnson’s follow-up to his 2005 Sundance hit, Brick, a low-budget high-school film noir feature starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Full of literary and cinematic allusion, Bloom succeeds on so many levels as a wonderful ode to the powerful art of storytelling but is perhaps a bit too clever for its own good. It’s the story of two orphan brothers who become con-men, men who have fallen into living out the elaborate stories they create. Stephen and Bloom (clear references to Stephen Dedalus and Leopold Bloom in James Joyce’s Ulysses), along with silent partner, Bang Bang embark on their final con to swindle rich heiress Penelope (after Odysseus’s loyal wife in Homer’s famous epic) out of her millions. Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody are wonderful as the pair of brothers caught in perpetual struggle with one another - Brody’s Bloom desperate to get out of the con game and live an “unwritten life” while Ruffalo’s Stephen knows better how to make his brother happy, keeping the con on track. Rinko Kikuchi plays Bang Bang, the silent, explosive-crazy Harpo Marx of the crew. But it’s Rachel Weisz as Penelope who steals the show as the eccentric heiress whose hobby is picking up and learning hobbies.
The Brothers Bloom has a plot that follows a con that might be a con-of-a-con or might be real life and is probably a little convoluted for most. It does, however feature clear character arcs that are satisfying, if not easy to foretell. But the wantonly oddball, idiosyncratic behaviour of everyone up on the screen, along with Johnson’s directorial and soundtrack choices, could leave you with the feeling that the film is an exercise in style over substance, as it has many film critics. I disagree. I think it’s a film that’s fun on the surface but also absolutely brimming with subtext and subtlety. This will be one worth owning. A film that will pay off the more you watch it. Owning the Blu-ray disc, however, if you live outside of Canada, won’t be as easy as hustling out to your local Best Buy.
The Brothers Bloom Blu-ray disc is currently only available for rent in the USA. I’m not quite sure what Summit is thinking with this move. I mean, you can go out and rent it at Blockbuster, or Netflix it or whatever. But the only way you can own a copy is to order it from Canada (currently only $26.99 CAN at Amazon.ca) That’s right. We, here in the great white north have already got The Brothers Bloom on Blu-ray and let me tell you, it’s a worthwhile purchase. Apparently, Summit will release it for sale in the US in January.
The disc looks and sounds pretty great. It’s far from reference quality with a lot of soft looking shots and slightly less detail than you’re hoping for but it’s a thoroughly film-like presentation. The special features include over 35 minutes of deleted scenes, an image gallery and a really great fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes featurette. The real gem of the discs extras, however is the commentary track featuring a chat with Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman. Bergman chimes in every now and again but for the most part stays silent as Johnson unveils in depth production details, thematic symbolism and story secrets. He also answers questions that fans have asked over Twitter! Great commentary track! Great disc!
[...] Much like The Brothers Bloom Blu-ray disc, Dead Snow is available from E1 in Canada right now, months before release in the USA. American fans anxious to get their hands on the Norwegian Nazi-zombie fest can feel safe in the knowledge that they can order from Canadian retailers and e-tailers like Amazon.ca, who currently list the Blu-ray disc for $29.99 CAN. [...]
[...] love, love, love The Brothers Bloom! We got it on Blu-ray here in Canada a few months ago (read my full review here). Glad to see that you folks south of the 49th parallel will finally have a chance to check it out [...]