The Brothers Bloom

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: May 15, 2009

DVD Release Date: September 29, 2009

Plot 411: Two brothers commit their last con ever.

Review: This is a quirky little comedy flick starring Mark Ruffalo as Stephen and Adrien Brody as Bloom, two orphaned brothers who found conning early in the game. As adults, they turned it into an artform and made their way around the world through it. The cons were always elaborate plays concocted by mastermind Stephen. Bloom, always the more reluctant participant of the two, usually ended up playing his roles superbly. When Bloom finally reaches the end of his rope and quits, Stephen entices him into doing one last con. With their silent but deadly partner Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), the boys set out to pull one over on an eccentric millionaire named Penelope (Rachel Weisz). As the plot progressed, I found myself getting more intrigued. I think it's a well-written script and the actors were all great. I especially think Weisz did a wonderful job. Ruffalo and Kikuchi were master comedians, despite the fact that Kikuchi played a mainly silent role. The humor and witt of this movie was amazing. Because Stephen and Bloom's lives have been one continuous con after another, the line between reality and fantasy is blurred. You're never quite sure what's part of the plan, who's in on it and how things will play out. This is a testament to Stephen's ability for scheming. I also loved the overall feel of the movie - from the cinematography to the sound design. The set design was also great, especially since the brothers are ardent globe trotters.

Watch It: For really great stuff from Ruffalo and Brody.

Skip It: Because while it's definitely taking you on a journey, it takes a while to get there. You definitely need to wait for the reveal and some might not have that kind of patience.

Definitely, Maybe

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: February 14, 2008

DVD Release Date: June 24, 2008

Plot 411: A dad tells his daughter the real story of how he fell in love with her mother, but it's complicated.

Review: Will (Ryan Reynolds) is in the process of divorcing his wife when his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) asks him to tell her the story of how he met her mother. Besides being intrigued by what happened, Maya also hopes this will reunite her parents. Will decides to change all the names and some of the things that happen in this retelling, forcing Maya (and the audience) to guess which woman is her mother. As the story goes, Will has three relationships with women who could possibly be Maya's mother: his college sweetheart (Elizabeth Banks), a journalist (Rachel Weisz) and his best friend (Isla Fisher). As the tale unfolds, things get more and more complicated but Maya is determined to figure out who her mother is. This film took a unique stab at the rom com genre and actually made it a lot more interesting. Because of how the plot, the audience really becomes invested in the characters - if not for Will's sake but for Maya's. As each piece of the puzzle is revealed, your anticipation mounts. I also enjoyed the twists and turns of how each relationship played out. While some things were still predictable, many aspects of the relationships were utterly true to the real world. Rather than wrap things up nicely, this film showed us all the loose ends. It didn't pull its punches - just as real life never will. Reynolds does a really good job playing a concerned father and his on-screen relationship with Breslin is great. As usual, he is good looking and funny, but now his affection for his daughter really makes him a dream catch. It's just the thing to pull in female viewers.

Watch It: For the unique storytelling hook of the plot.

Skip It: If you like your romances straightforward and passion filled. This one would be described more as sweet and endearing.