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THE BROTHERS BLOOMMovie Reviews
Globe-trotting comedy about the last great adventure of the world's best con men. Cast:Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Maximilian Schell, Robbie ColtraneDirector:Rian JohnsonRelease Date:May 15, 2009DVD Release:September 29, 2009From:Summit EntertainmentRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 54 min
The Brothers Bloom played to good reviews. • Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "Even after the plot has left you behind, you still watch The Brothers Bloom with a smile, because the actors are so engaging..." • And Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...a nifty yarn that would be all the more enjoyable if it weren't so pleased with itself. Rian Johnson's direction is as self-conscious as his script..." More Reviews Below...
The Brothers Bloom Positive Reviews (35 Reviews, reviews below)
Leah Rozen, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It goes on too long and is a tad too smitten with its own cleverness, but there's much to enjoy in this quirky comic drama..."(See all of Leah Rozen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 117 words, 05/14/09
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...would probably have come off as more bold and bracing if it didn't follow a trilogy of 'Ocean's' capers, plus a lesser wave of heist flicks..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 05/15/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "Eccentric characters, clever background details, anachronistic wardrobe choices and twee title cards announcing each new chapter -- they're all there..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 05/14/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "As much as you admire the stagecraft and the technical skills on display, when all is said and done, that's all it is: a fancy, not-quite-two-hour stunt."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 05/15/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...an overstuffed failure that mistakes sleight storytelling for dazzling entertainment -- is exactly that for the ironic hipster era."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 436 words, 05/15/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The film is just too smug and pleased with itself; as a general rule, an exercise in style needs to persuade us it cares about more than style."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 795 words, 05/21/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...outside of the manufactured oddities, Rachel Weisz's performance is the best thing in the movie: an old-school screwball turn of hypercurious pep."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 376 words, 05/15/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...fails to add up to the sum of its laborious parts. There's no emotional investment in any of the characters, and you can see the writer-director's windup con coming a mile away."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 05/15/09
Jessica Reaves, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an awfully good time.... Johnson cites 'The Sting' and 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' as influences on his film, but he may owe a much greater debt to Wes Anderson..."(See all of Jessica Reaves's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 05/22/09
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Johnson seems to have his foreground and background mixed up: The plot dominates and he errs in taking our interest in the characters for granted."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 05/22/09
John Anderson, Washington Post: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a charmer, a witty sandbagging of one's resistance to fairy tale and a movie afflicted with a kind of comic Tourette's syndrome."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 293 words, 05/22/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Even if you don't quite comprehend the ending (there seem to be 12 of them), you'll still feel the wallop of its consequences."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 05/29/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a nifty yarn that would be all the more enjoyable if it weren't so pleased with itself. Rian Johnson's direction is as self-conscious as his script..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 05/22/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...the components add up to precious little in this precious affair too concerned with its look to say much worth listening to."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 288 words, 05/22/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...so self-consciously, adorably, aggressively clever that it ties itself in knots even before the title credits come on."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 675 words, 05/22/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Ruffalo turns in another take on his soulful smart guy; Brody's all loosey-goosey charm... Weisz make something poetic from her ditsy yet forthright character."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 398 words, 05/22/09
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "Rian Johnson's confident direction takes what could have been self-consciously precious and makes it hugely entertaining and a little moving."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 276 words, 05/22/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...to assemble such a talented cast, dress them in kooky costumes, write them snappy dialogue and then give them nothing interesting to do is a scam."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 05/29/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a willfully eccentric, instant cult film -- a movie for big-con movie lovers, but a movie that's too clever for its own good and too long by about 20 minutes."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 05/29/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Even after the plot has left you behind, you still watch The Brothers Bloom with a smile, because the actors are so engaging..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 442 words, 05/29/09
Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee: MODERATE(cg) "While it's understood that the brothers operate in fakery, must the movie itself be so fake? At least the performances are authentic..."(See all of Carla Meyer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 05/29/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: WEAK(cg) "...suffers from a combination of mental fidgeting and tired blood.... Only Rachel Weisz gives The Brothers Bloom some real-life kick as a neglected heiress..."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 05/29/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...writer-director Rian Johnson builds on his tremendous gift for gab and fondness for intricate narratives.... the director's talent is for real."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 05/22/09
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...is the naked steal from 'The Sting' a cute allusion or mere plagiarism? Too much nudging and winking make this Bloom wilt."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 160 words, 05/21/09
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "As much as you admire the stagecraft and the technical skills on display, when all is said and done, that's all it is: a fancy, not-quite-two-hour stunt."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 05/15/09
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...outside of the manufactured oddities, Rachel Weisz's performance is the best thing in the movie: an old-school screwball turn of hypercurious pep."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 376 words, 05/15/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Robert Koehler, Daily Variety: FAIR "Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are seldom allowed to play off of each other amid the film's breathless busyness and adoration for eccentricity..."(See all of Robert Koehler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 09/15/08
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "Johnson gives no real definition to any of his characters... the con games themselves seem like the inside of a watch -- all soulless mechanics."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 09/05/08
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...outside of the manufactured oddities, Rachel Weisz's performance is the best thing in the movie: an old-school screwball turn of hypercurious pep."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 376 words, 05/15/09
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "As much as you admire the stagecraft and the technical skills on display, when all is said and done, that's all it is: a fancy, not-quite-two-hour stunt."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 05/15/09
19.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Brothers Bloom's reviews are separated by an average 19.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Brothers Bloom (35 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Brothers Bloom's reviews cover 59.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 14,857 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 424 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 28.3 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Brothers Bloom's reviews on average broke 28.3 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Brothers Bloom's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Brothers Bloom (35 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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