Oh, brother

All the world’s a stage for the brothers Bloom and the second feature by ingenious writer-director Rian Johnson will have audiences clamouring for more of his singular storytelling vision.

From the lyrical, slightly left-of-centre mind that crafted teen gumshoe flick Brick comes this whimsical comedy-adventure that’s as much playful fairy tale as it is modern-day heist caper, where unknowing pawns are written into elaborate ruses at the formidable hands of the Bloom Brothers.

At TIFF for its world premiere, The Brothers Bloom rounds up a gifted cast in the form of Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo – the scheming brothers in question – with Brody as Bloom, the introverted younger brother who longs for an unscripted life and Ruffalo as Stephen, the wise ass puppet master pulling the strings from behind the curtains. Their convincing on-screen chemistry and honest portrayal of the complicated sibling ties that bind was something the actors came by honestly.

“It’s a privilege to work with such generous people, especially in a place that’s so far from home,” Brody told Cineplex.com at the film’s press conference during the Toronto International Film Festival. (The film was largely shot in Serbia.)

“It creates a very easy opportunity to bond with them, to become close friends. I don’t have any brothers, so I’ve adopted Mark,” joked the Oscar winner. “But family is family and there’s a difference with friendship but you can still be very close or very much at odds with people you are friends with.”

Ruffalo himself has a brother and two sisters, with whom he says he shares a very “connected relationship”, and admits to drawing from his own experiences for the role, adding he “clicked instantly” with his on-screen brother.

Who, then, could come between the tightly-knit duo but an epileptic photographer named Penelope, played by a revelatory Rachel Weisz who brings a childlike enthusiasm to this peculiar role.

She credits Johnson’s “delicious and unusual” script for the unique perspective the hybrid film offers, comparing this work with his debut feature.

“You took a genre and you shook it up,” she said to Johnson in reference to Brick. “And with this film, you took a genre and shook it up. They’re cousins in a way.”

Johnson’s ability to transport viewers to another world – in this case, a fully realized microcosm with flourishes of the fantastic that's ultimately rooted in reality – speaks to his gift for re-imagining genres. With The Brothers Bloom, he offers a crime caper with a beating heart at its core, a conman movie infused with moments of beauty, out-and-out humour and love.

Audiences will next be treated to Johnson's take on sci-fi with Looper, which he's currently in the process of writing, though he cautions that he won't necessarily be looking to mash up the genre.

"It's a dark and violent science-fiction story that's totally different from what I've done. But I don't think it's healthy to look at a genre and look for a twist – it's about bringing your own sensibility to it."

The Brothers Bloom screens Thursday, September 11 at the Ryerson Theatre before it hits theatres this December.