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"THE BROTHERS BLOOM" (2009) (Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Moderate Extreme Mild Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Minor None Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Heavy Moderate Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Dramedy: Two brothers and longtime con men try to pull an elaborate scam on a rich and lonely heiress who's looking for adventure. PLOT: Bloom (ADRIEN BRODY) and Stephen (MARK RUFFALO) are brothers who decided long ago that pulling cons on others was the best way to level the playing field with those having inherent advantages over them, such as not being bumped from one foster home to the next. With the assistance of nitroglycerine expert Bang Bang (RINKO KIKUCHI), the two are quite good at what they do, having been mentored in the past by con veteran Diamond Dog (MAXMILLIAN SCHELL). Yet, with Stephen serving as the scheming mastermind, Bloom has grown tired of playing other characters and having his life be just the roles that he embodies. Accordingly, he wants out, but Stephen convinces him to participate in one last scam, this one targeting Penelope Stamp (RACHEL WEISZ), a rich but lonely 33-year-old heiress. With the assistance of The Curator (ROBBIE COLTRANE), they set their plan into motion, with Penelope unaware of their true intentions, but obviously enjoying the attention paid to her and what seemingly promises to be an adventure-filled journey with them. But as Bloom finds himself getting too close to their mark, his doubts and desire to quit resurface, potentially endangering the trio, especially with the arrival of armed thugs who may or may not be part of the elaborate ruse. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of anyone in the cast or "con men" type movies, it doesn't seem too likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For violence, some sensuality and brief strong language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ADRIEN BRODY plays a con man who's grown tired of always living his life as someone else and thus wants to quit, but is convinced by his brother to go along with one last ruse. He does, but finds himself falling for their mark and apparently sleeps with her, all while occasionally drinking and smoking. MARK RUFFALO plays his older brother, the mastermind of the cons they pull on others, and he convinces Bloom -- like he's done repeatedly in the past -- to participate in one more. He drinks, smokes and uses some profanity. RACHEL WEISZ plays their target, a rich but lonely heiress who longs for adventure and something new in her life. She uses profanity, drinks to the point of being intoxicated, and apparently sleeps with Bloom. RINKO KIKUCHI plays the brothers' mostly mute assistant (she briefly uses strong profanity) who has a thing for using nitroglycerine to blow up things. She also smokes. ROBBIE COLTRANE plays a collaborator in the brothers' ruse who drinks, smokes a pipe, and fires a shotgun through a closed door after drinking. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this dramedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, off-screen sex is implied, a woman makes orgasmic sounds in several scenes, a female bare butt is briefly seen, and there's some classic statue nudity. Violence consists of several shootings (real and faked), the hitting of and injuring of others, and some explosions and property damage. Some of that has bloody results, but much is faked, at least until the end. Some of these scenes might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to sensitive viewers. Pulling cons on others as well as other behavior seen in the film might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Bad attitudes are present, as are some tense family scenes. Characters drink in various scenes, and there's some brief intoxication, while all sorts of smoking also occurs. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that briefly during the title card presentation, followed in a later scene by flashes of light during a thunderstorm. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some camera movement in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE After a con, Stephen asks Bang Bang, "Buy you a drink?" We then see them enter a bar where others drink and Stephen grabs and drinks from a bottle. We then see a drink in front of Bloom, followed by him drinking that. While intoxicated, Stephen has a flask, but Bloom grabs and throws that aside, followed by a view of a camel that's picked it up and is guzzling it down. We see empty bottles on a table by Bloom. Bloom states he'll be in Montenegro drinking. Bang Bang and Stephen have beer. When Stephen states Bang Bang's name is "Ying Ling," Penelope asks if that's like the beer. Miscellaneous people have drinks. People have what appear to be mimosas. Bloom holds a drink. Bloom says he usually drinks with Bang Bang. We see Penelope with many mini bottles of liquor and she appears intoxicated. After drinking and reacting to a thunderstorm outside, Penelope squirms around on a bed clothed, stating, "I am so horny" and makes orgasmic sounds. After shooting a shotgun through a door, The Curator comes out holding a drink, stating that he's been drinking. We see wine in front of Bloom. Bloom has wine in front of him. Bloom has a drink. Bloom has wine in front of him. Penelope runs off singing something about drink by night. Bloom holds a drink. Miscellaneous people drink in a club. BLOOD/GORE We see a man shoot Bloom, and there's blood on his shirt, but after the shooter leaves, we see it was all faked as part of a con. While intoxicated, Stephen states that he must "piss." Penelope tells Bloom that she thinks he's constipated in his "f*cking soul," adding that he has "petrified poop up your soul's ass." We hear intestinal sounds coming from The Curator, but nothing comes of that. Stephen breaks a bottle to use on Diamond Dog whose hand he cuts, with some bloody results. Bloom tells Penelope the truth, they confront Stephen, and the brothers struggle, with both throwing punches, including Stephen hitting Bloom in the back. A gun falls off a table and fires, but while we don't see the impact, we see some blood on a shirt (but that's quickly revealed to be fake when Penelope finds the fake blood pack). Bloom states he's going to be sick, but that doesn't occur. We see Stephen tied up and bloody, and he's pushed to the floor. Bloom then gets into a gun battle with another man, and Stephen is seemingly hit in the back, and his shirt is bloody, while Bloom has bloodstains on his shirt. We then see some blood drip down from Stephen's sleeve, indicating the blood is real and not faked. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The brothers pull cons on various people, including Penelope. Bloom tells The Curator (who's obese), "Eat your waffles, fat man." Diamond Dog puts his hand on Bloom's leg, possibly implying some sort of sexual molestation in the past. Bloom steals an apple, but is caught for that. Bloom steals snacks on a train, just as Penelope and Bang Bang did earlier. Stephen states that Mexico's a horrible place. Some men attempt to kill the brothers, and later have Stephen tied up and he appears to have been beaten. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material, but probably few others. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Explosives: Carried and/or used to threaten, attempt to wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. The camera is positioned so that graffiti of a large gun on a wall behind Bloom makes it appear as if the gun is pointed at the side of his head. We see Bang Bang detonating various things with nitroglycerine. Soldiers or guards carry automatic weapons in response to an earlier explosion. We see Stephen readying his handgun. Bloom readies his gun. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "I think you're constipated in your f*cking soul," "F*ck me" (nonsexual), "Well, sh*t," "Sh*t-eating grin," "Holy sh*t," "I am so horny," "Playground bourgeoisie," "Shut up," "The filthy, red-eyed leech," "What the hell?" "Rich bitch," "Eat your waffles, fat man," "Petrified poop up your soul's ass," "Who the hell is that?" "It's freaky scary," "Get the hell out of here" and "You son of a bitch." The story might inspire some kids to try to con other people in some manner. We see a cat propelling itself along with a stick taped to its leg while the rest is inside a roller skate. In an introductory sequence showing the boys at 10 and 13, young Stephen pushes young Bloom out of the woods and to the ground, to make him talk to a girl. In an introductory sequence showing the boys at 10 and 13, young Stephen comes up with a con to fool other kids into paying young Bloom to lead them to a cave to catch sight of a supposed hermit (that's really Stephen), and to leave all of them muddy from going into the cave. We see miscellaneous graffiti. Bang Bang belches into a stethoscope. Later, Penelope belches without one. We see a montage of Penelope's various hobbies, including juggling chainsaws while on a unicycle (we don't see the actual juggling, but see her holding them). She also does various somersaults. Stephen burns a telegram indoors. We see Bang Bang detonating various things with nitroglycerine. Bang Bang has a tattoo on her neck. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A little bit of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 2 "f" words (with another possible one), 8 "s" words, 3 hells, 2 damns, 1 ass, 1 S.O.B., 5 uses of "G-damn," 2 each of "God," "Oh God" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "Oh Lord" and "Sweet Jesus." SEX/NUDITY We see miscellaneous passionate kissing in a bar. A cleavage-revealing woman comes on to Bloom, but he doesn't go along with that. Bloom says he wants to quite the con business, that he's upset his life is just roles he plays, and adds that he's tired of waking up next to someone who thinks they know him (when they really don't). We see Penelope's bare butt via the hospital gown she's wearing that's open in the back. A classic statue shows bare breasts. After drinking and reacting to a thunderstorm outside, Penelope squirms around on a bed clothed, stating, "I am so horny" and makes orgasmic sounds. We see bare penises on statues of cherubs. Diamond Dog puts his hand on Bloom's leg, possibly implying some sort of sexual molestation in the past. After Penelope asks Bloom if he knows how she feels, he asks, "Horny?" Penelope and Bloom passionately kiss while clothed, including lots of tongue and some orgasmic sounds from her. Sex is implied and the next morning we see her bare back in bed. Later, Bloom holds up his fingers and Bang Bang smells them, followed by Bloom doing the same (to his own fingers, presumably related to that earlier sex). We see Bloom in the spoons position with Penelope in bed under the covers. SMOKING Bang Bang smokes more than 5 times, Bloom (unlit) and Stephen (small ones) are occasionally seen with cigars, The Curator's seen with a pipe, and a number of minor and miscellaneous characters smoke cigarettes and cigars. Bloom wakes up with an unlit cigar in his mouth. TENSE FAMILY SCENES In an introductory sequence showing the boys at 10 and 13, we hear that they've been through many foster families. In one, their foster dad knocks the hat off young Bloom, followed by young Stephen punching that man in the face. In another, we see one of them being smacked by a foster parent for a con they pulled. Penelope talks about her dying mom in the past, but that she also hated and felt trapped by her. Some tension develops between Bloom and Stephen regarding their cons and Bloom wanting to get out of doing any more. In one scene, Bloom tells Penelope the truth, they confront Stephen, and the brothers struggle, with both throwing punches, including Stephen hitting Bloom in the back. A gun falls off a table and fires, but while we don't see the impact, we see some blood on a shirt (but that's quickly revealed to be fake when Penelope finds the fake blood pack). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT In an introductory sequence showing the boys at 10 and 13, we hear that they've been through many foster families. The comment that the perfect con is when everyone gets just the thing they wanted. Bloom says he wants to quite the con business, that he's upset his life is just roles he plays, and adds that he's tired of waking up next to someone who thinks they know him (when they really don't). We hear that Penelope is epileptic. We hear that Penelope grew up mostly alone inside her house due to having allergies. The comment that the trick to not feeling cheated is to know how to cheat. VIOLENCE In an introductory sequence showing the boys at 10 and 13, their foster dad knocks the hat off young Bloom, followed by young Stephen punching that man in the face. Later, we see one of them being smacked by a foster parent for a con they pulled. We see a man shoot Bloom, and there's blood on his shirt (as a bookcase burns behind him), but after the shooter leaves, we see it was all faked as part of a con. Bloom states that Stephen took out Diamond Dog's eye in the past with an antique rapier (not seen). Penelope accidentally drives her expensive sports car into a wall on her estate. Bloom rides down a hill on a bike to purposefully allow Penelope to hit him with her sports car (we don't see the impact, but do see Bloom fly by and hit the road). Penelope then can't figure out what to do, starting and stopping her car until she finally goes off the road and crashes. We hear the sound of Penelope's sports car crashing. We see a flashback to Stephen going to punch someone. We hear the punch, but then see Stephen hit the ground. The Curator twice shoots through a door with a shotgun as others stand outside it, hitting a statue that falls from that. Stephen breaks a bottle to use on Diamond Dog whose hand he cuts, with some bloody results, followed by another guy tackling Stephen. We see Bang Bang detonating various things with nitroglycerine. A small explosive that Bang Bang set ends up bigger than expected, blowing up part of a tower. Penelope falls from some duct work along the ceiling and then kicks one man waiting for her, but others hold their guns on her. Bloom steals an apple, with a vendor throwing an orange at him as he flees. Bloom falls from that, but we don't see the impact. Bloom tells Penelope the truth, they confront Stephen, and the brothers struggle, with both throwing punches, including Stephen hitting Bloom in the back. A gun falls off a table and fires, but while we don't see the impact, we see some blood on a shirt (but that's quickly revealed to be fake when Penelope finds the fake blood pack). Penelope blows up her huge mansion with a massive detonation and explosion. We see a flashback to Bloom punching Stephen. Gunmen repeatedly fire machine guns at the brothers' car, riddling it with bullets. The car goes off the road, flips, lands on its tires, careens through a forest, hits a tree, and then explodes (by then empty). Bang Bang's car explodes. We see Stephen tied up and bloody, and he's pushed to the floor. Bloom then gets into a gun battle with another man, and Stephen is seemingly hit in the back, and his shirt is bloody, while Bloom has bloodstains on his shirt. We then see some blood drip down from Stephen's sleeve, indicating the blood is real and not faked. Reviewed April 29, 2009 / Posted May 29, 2009

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