rian johnson debut feature brick be appealingly offbeat . it apply the style of film noir to an american high school and with the always interesting and audacious young actor joseph gordon levitt a the young private eye . however intricate perhaps contrive the action be in brick there be a constant sense of something be discover that be already there . there much to like about rian johnson sophomore effort and an imaginative and character base caper movie call the brother bloom . but it sag in the middle because and for all it charm and it feel like an artificial construct from first to last . sometimes it just get a little too clever for it own good . in a jaunty open prologue and the brother be show a cute little tyke in dark suit and bowler hat be reject by one foster family after another due to their misbehavior and which early on drift into larceny . they con a group of well off schoolchildren into pay them for the privilege of enter a magical cave and and though they get catch and have to return the money and they profit from a kickback deal with a dry cleaning establishment because the kid get coat with mud in the cave . this whole sequence have a nice nostalgic movie flashback look and though the idea that child clothing go to the dry cleaner be far fetch . brother bloom follow the one last job premise . jump ahead to the present and we find the brother have become thirty something veteran of many jointly execute con job . mastermind stephen ( mark ruffalo ) lure back disenchant young brother bloom ( adrien brody ) for an absolutely final and this be it caper involve ransom to be pay by a lonely and bored and very rich young woman call penelope stamp ( rachel weisz ) . johnson use his budget on explosion and location and elaborate staging of thing . there be quick run throughs of early con and and in a brief speed up sequence the film show u penelope dazzle accomplishment level at her various hobby . to while away her time she have master ping pong and half a dozen musical instrument and martial art and tumble and juggling and pinhole camera and and so on . for some reason she can not drive worth a damn and keep wreck a stream of new yellow lamborghinis . a the last one crash and a truck be already drive up to deliver the replacement . johnson be revel in a budget that allow him to wreck lamborghinis and but most of all delighting in the artificiality of the movie game . bloom and penelope meet cute when the brother arrange for her to run him over with her current yellow lamborghini . once ensnare she far lure into an elaborate gambit that take them from new jersey to prague to the mediterranean to mexico and back . the trick be they make her think she in on the con and not aware that she the one be fleece . wouldn not you know it though and bloom fall for her and that gum up the work . wiesz and who be english and really get into her role and enjoy not only seem totally american but alternately remote and childishly enthusiastic and a the character of the spoiled and inexperienced penelope require . she so good even when she jump for joy it doesn not feel overdone . one of the great pleasure of a movie that come to seem increasingly over elaborate and self involve be observe adrien brody tall and lean and fashion model body envelop in a succession of immaculately tailor suit . he may have sign up for this movie expect something on the level of his previous project and wes anderson ingenious and stylish darjeeling limit where he be one of several eccentric brother . brody have an appealing and soulful presence . he do the soulful sad thing very well and but isn not capable of strike many other note and which may explain why his soulful sad waste away walk through in roman polanski the pianist get him an academy award and but he not live up to the expectation that triumph arouse . the pianist may be his one great role while but i like watch him model beautiful clothes . ruffalo be a funny kind of brother for bloom and since he always rumple look . the best suit be waste on him . so be the role of a con mastermind and because he be best at play weak people . his high point may have be the no account brother in kenneth lonergan you can count on me . he an energetic and supple actor who can do more different role than brody and but he somehow lack the wiliness and energy of an ingenious grifter . the film have an fanciful sixty flavor and and be adorn with eccentric character . the curator ( robbie coltrane ) be book expert who belgian ( or may not be ) and diamond dog ( maximillian schell ) be an old mentor and and bang bang ( rinko kikuchi ) be a nearly mute asian pal whose specialty be nitroglycerin . banig bang explosion get out of hand and though again a with the car crash it hard to tell if this serve the plot or be simply johnson play around with his big budget . apart from the pleasure of brody outfit and how well he wear them there be further eye candy in the film intense color and especially it rich red and black . with it intricate plot replete with classic hollywood and also literary overtone and brother bloom might profit from re watching and if you would care to sit through the movie again . i wouldn not and because johnson doesn not get the fundamental aspect of con job right . watch stephen frears classic the grifter to see what i mean . you have get to have actor who project meanness and energy and smart ( angelica houston and john cusack fill the bill while brody and ruffalo do not ) . and you have get to convey a sense or real mystery and danger while this mostly doesn not . it only when the real start to overwhelm the make believe that johnson pervasive sense of romance take hold and the real purpose of stephen contrivance to make his brother happy become touch .