The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Along with much of the critical establishment I was very impressed by Rian Johnson's directorial debut, the high school noir Brick. It established him as a clear new voice, and as such I was eagerly anticipating his follow up, a heist film called The Brothers Bloom. Well for varying reasons the film was only recently released here in the UK so it has taken me a while to finally see it, thankfully the film was worth waiting for, and it shows a versatility and softer side to Johnson than Brick had previously hinted at.

As opposed to the dark and shadowy underworld depicted in Brick, The Brothers Bloom has the air of a fantastic story about it. It is bold with its use of colour and light, and the nondescript locations and costumes give it a feeling out timeliness that the best woven fables often do. The film concerns itself with the titular brothers,  played by Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody. Together they make their living as con men, Ruffalo's Stephen is the architect of the schemes, the storyteller with Brody's Bloom finding his place in the world by playing the characters Stephen dreams up for him. There are some very strong parallels in the story to the relationship between writer and actor, the cons that the men take part in are not just simple tricks, but adventures they create leaving their marks with a story to tell, and an emotional satisfaction which outweighs the material loss. Stephens belief that the perfect con leaves everyone with exactly what they wanted is an interesting one and it keeps the films twisting narrative in question throughout.

Rachel Weisz plays Penelope, the Brothers' final mark, a lonely and bored heiress whose millions have seen her trapped in her own mansion. Penelope is a departure from the more emotional characters Weisz tends to play and it's a delight to see her spread her quirky comedy wings. Penelope could have easily become a caricature of a sheltered naive and slightly eccentric woman, but she imbues her with a tremendous amount of heart and longing. The relationship between her and Bloom, whose years of playing characters have left him beaten down and isolated, is sweet and funny and underpins the backbone of the film. Rounding out the gang is Rinko Kikuchi's enigmatic Bang Bang, an (almost) silent accomplice whose speciality with explosives serve the Brothers well. She steals nearly every scene she is in and instantly becomes one of those hilarious and iconic characters.

As with Brick Johnson affects the film with a very specific tone that runs from the characters and plot right through to the dialogue rhythms and beats. It is a rare film that manages to be lighthearted and odd without being quirky and cloying. However the twisting narrative is possibly a bit to clever for it's own good, and I didn't feel that the ending was as effective as it could have been, it's not bad per se, just slightly disappointed when compared to what it felt the film was building towards. Similarly the films light tone and comedic edge make it less compelling and deep than Brick, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there isn't much here except the surface level con man caper. 

That being said Johnson has proven a lot by crafting such a wildly different follow up film with such a confident and assured touch. There are few directors who can flit between styles so easily and it bodes well for the long and interesting career he has ahead of him, one I am eager to follow wherever it goes.

Breathless (1960)

Jean-Luc Godart's seminal 1960 debut is often accredited with kicking off the French New Wave of cinema, influencing cinema right up until this day. As is often the case with such classics of the medium it is often difficult to fully appreciate the film in the proper context, many of the techniques used in the film that seems prevalent now; long tracking shots, handheld naturalistic dialogue scenes, were in fact amazingly pioneering back in 1960.

The film concerns itself with Michel Poiccard (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a young criminal on the run from the law. He takes refuge in Paris where he hooks up with Jean Seberg's aspiring American journalist. Outside of that brief synopsis not a lot happens in the film, the bulk of it is less about the impending police investigation, but about the relationship between Michel and Patricia. It is this aspect that most surprised me about the film, it still feels remarkably modern; the loose tone and naturalistic dialogue and extended scenes seem from a different era than other films of the time and give the film a great sense of urgency and intimacy at times. The carefree nature of the main anti-hero is again an unusual touch, there is little concession made to make him out as a particularly sympathetic character but he is never less than fascinating. The battle of wills that they two engage in is engrossing and Seberg's conflicted nature brings the film its heart, her Patricia is captivating and it's easy to see why Michel would pursue her in the way that he does.

Despite the lack of significant action the film is breezy and never feels stale or dull. Godard's obvious control over the tone and mood of the film is evident; it feels more than most films of the period, a very authored and specific vision. It is this uniqueness, the French sense of style and passion that infuses the film that helps it linger long past it's ending. Much in the same way that many modern art-house films are said to be sensory experiences, so too is Breathless and it's hard even now to fully understand just what a change this would have been for the industry at the time. One element of the film that is easy to overlook is how revolutionary its approach to editing was at the time, forgoing a lot of the established rules around continuity editing Godard often uses jump-cuts to speed up scenes, or create a sense of dislocation and confusion. It's a small thing that makes a big different and it's a key factor in the immediacy of the films action.

There are aspects that feel dated, Michel's initial run in with the law and subsequent escape is less than convincing, and the lack of budget is evident in some scenes. However the performances and the assuredness of the direction help anchor the film through these moments, leaving an indelible impression and a film that deserves it's place in the history books.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Taking another step back in time today's film is the one that introduced the world to Audrey Hepburn, William Wyler's warm and entertaining Roman Holiday. What is interesting when watching some of these older films is tracing back many of the conventions and high-concept ideals of modern romantic comedies and then seeing how the differences in time and culture affects the way things play out. 

Roman Holiday's conceit (and it is one) concerns a royal Princess, played by Hepburn, who's life of sombre engagements, formal meetings and worthy actions leave her longing for a normal life and a freedom from responsibility. One night in Rome she sees an opportunity to escape, out on the streets she meets Gregory Peck's embittered newspaper man who, sensing a story offers to show her the sights and from whom she hides her true identity. It's a premise that manages to avoid many potential narrative traps, the motivations of the protagonists are clearly defined and allow much of the class based comedy to emerge. What the film really excels at is the performances though. In her first role Hepburn practically radiates, convincing as both a princess and a slightly spoiled and sheltered young woman. She brings a wonderful energy and naivete to the character and it's to Gregory Pecks immense credit that his character never feels overtly cruel or unpleasant for deceiving her in the way that he does.

The film is slight in terms of plot, but its as much an excuse to show the sights of Rome as well as give the couple time to trade blows as they come to learn more about each other, and ultimately fall in love. This much I'm sure was obvious from the very start, but the way the story plays out defied my expectations, and I give it credit for not taking the obvious choice, but the one with the most thematic resonance.

That being said this is not a particularly deep film, nor does it pretend to be. The chemistry between the case is great and makes the whole experience deeply enjoyable, they are fun to spend time with and there is a genuine sense of loss once the day comes to a close and normality has to be restored.

Approaching the film from a modern day perspective I was pleased by how enjoyable and watchable the film was. It has a slow start, and those used to modern day rom-com conventions may be disappointed at it's distinctly chaste nature and focus on character humour, but to me these were welcome changes. It has taken me a while, but my appreciation for classic films is definitely growing the more that I watch and experience and I look forward to continuing to dig into this rich vein on film history as time (and this blog) goes on.

The Ghost (2010)

His personal issues aside, Roman Polanski has been one of the most celebrated and interesting directors of the last 30 years. His latest film, who's release was marred by real life events, is a neat and taut adaptation of Robert Harris's novel. The story is a simple one of political intrigue, Ewan McGreggor plays the titular 'ghost', a writer who is hired to finish writing the memoirs of Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) the British ex-prime minister, after the books previous author was found dead. Naturally what seems to be an easy way of making some good money turns into something much more sinister as allegations about Adams conduct whilst in office raise their head. 

What is refreshing about The Ghost is the relatively low key and realistic nature of the mystery and characters as a whole. In many ways it has a very old fashioned feeling, it's deliberate pacing and ambiguous characters keep the tone claustrophobic and tense, even when nothing is happening and this in turn feeds the films more dramatic scenes with a greater sense of urgency and importance. Ewan McGreggor does a great line in the everyman and his character here, who is never named, is refreshingly normal. He is not a detective, and so the way his enquiries come about feel a lot more natural rather than a standard police procedural. The subject matter of the film, war crimes, and the focus on US / UK relations make this as well a timely and politically minded film in many ways, the parallels between Adam Lang and Tony Blair are obvious, but it is never too overt about it, the situations forming the backdrop of the film rather than the focus. The film may deal with some potentially heavy issues but it never forgets its focus on entertainment and character, and so never feels weighted down or dull.

Olivia Williams puts in another strong supporting performance as Lang's embittered wife and her uncanny knack of playing cold hearted, but complex lends the film much of its ambiguity and intrigue. The whole film is surrounded in rain and gloom, the cold landscape of the New Hampshire villa where a lot of the film takes place reflects the tone of the film nicely. Alexandre Desplat's score as well is wonderfully evocative, whilst remaining subtle enough to merely enhance the films inherent tension. The only bum note in the film is Kim Catrall's rather flat and one note performance as Adam Lang's long suffering PA, a role that is somewhat underwritten, but not helped by her less than convincing British accent.

As a whole though this is a highly effective little thriller, it is tightly plotted and scripted and filled with great performances. Those expecting a bombastic Bourne Identity style thriller may be disappointed but this is a film that will manage to entertain and surprise, whilst having a little something more on its mind.

Heartbreaker (2010)

This delightful French romantic comedy slipped under most people's radars when it came out last year, and it is a shame as it is a whole lot of fun, a breezy and entertaining film that manages to walk the line of convention without tipping fully into cliché.

The film concerns itself with Alex, a professional breakup master. He is hired to break up unsuitable couples, by offering the women a glimpse of the romance they deserve. He never gets involved with a client, and only deals with unhappy couples. On his latest job he is hired to breakup a seemingly perfect couple, in the short 10 days before they get married. Now it is to the films immense credit that both the pre-tense and possibly mean spirited premise don't obstruct the film. This is largely down to the charming work done by Romain Duris in the main role, he is a very French leading man, suave, sophisticated but impulsive and charming. The main focus on the film is the relationship that develops between him and Vanessa Paradis's steely Juliette as he find her every bit a match for his usual techniques and tricks. Posing as her bodyguard as she sorts out the wedding preparations in Monaco gives him the perfect 'in' to her life, but winning her over isn't so straightforward.

As well as the fresh Gaelic tone of the film the stunning European backdrops really add character and glamour to the film. It is difficult to imagine the story playing out against the gloomy autumn backdrop of London and there is a very Mediterranean atmosphere as a result. Making up the rest of Alex's crew are his sister and her husband. They provide a lot of the humour of the film, which veers from clever farce to slapstick depending on the scene. This mix of styles suits the film well and the lack of many of the rom-com tropes is welcome. Sure you can see where the story is going, but it never quite does what you expect. The script is sharp and witty and the characters are warm, making it easy to root for them.

That said don't expect a revolution of the genre, despite it's European quirk this is still very much a romantic comedy and your mileage with that might vary. I also felt the ending was slightly undercooked, but I did appreciate the films reluctance to frame anyone as the villain of the piece. It is not an especially deep or memorable film, but it's not trying to be. Overall if you are after a fun and, dare I say, heart-warming, little film you could do plenty worse. At a time where many of the so called rom-com's leaving the US system are awful, it's nice to see that when done right there is still a place for them in any film lovers repertoire.