Brave

Brave - Dirs. Dirs. Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman & Steve Purcell (2012)

Brave marks several firsts for Pixar. It's their first period piece and their first fairy tale. It was to be the first Pixar project directed by a woman in Brenda Chapman (inspired by her relationship with her daughter) until she was replaced by Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell though she still receives credit. Brave is also the first Pixar film to feature a female protagonist in the lead role.

Set in the Scottish Highlands long ago, Brave follows the strong-willed Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) and her equally stubborn mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Merida prefers to roam free and practice archery while the Queen prefers Merida be molded into a proper lady. That includes lessons in refinement and diplomacy. Now that she's come of age, tradition calls for Merida to be married off to one of the sons of the neighboring clan leaders. Merida discovers a witch (Julie Walters) deep within the forest and asks her for a spell to change her fate. Of course, it all goes wrong with Elinor being turned into a bear. It's Mother Bear, instead of Brother Bear.

You can't help but be awestruck by the beauty of the animation. Pixar has outdone themselves once more in creating a vibrant world of misty mountains, dark forests, and evergreen hilltops. Even Merida's flowing red locks seem to have a life of their own. Animators actually created new software just to render her wild mane of hair, which symbolizes Merida's thirst for freedom. The contrast between mother and daughter is never more apparent than when Merida is forced to wear a restrictive Maid Marian outfit. She slips a tuft of hair from underneath her cap in a defiant expression of identity. There's a palpable tenderness to their relationship even when Elinor is in bear form. The animators do an impressive job in making her emote strictly through paw and facial movements. The creative minds of Pixar have been behind some of the most memorable father-son relationships depicted in cinema, from Nemo and Marlin in Finding Nemo to Russell and his crotchety surrogate Mr. Fredricksen in Up. No surprise that their first exploration of maternal bonds should be as equally heartfelt.

There's plenty of humor (and naked buttocks) to be found in Brave. Much of the humor derives from the "wee devils" that are Merida's younger brothers, the triplets Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. Kelly Macdonald (who replaced Reese Witherspoon) heads up a cast of talented Scottish thespians who end an aura of authenticity. The actors include Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, and the great Billy Connolly as Merida's father King Fergus, who lost a leg in battle against the demonic bear Mor'du.

The critical response to Brave was surprisingly mixed. Perhaps, reviewers were expecting Pixar to completely deconstruct the Disney princess genre. However, Pixar didn't need to reinvent the wheel with Brave because it is so lusciously animated and well-crafted.

Rating: *** (*****)

The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom - Dir. Rian Johnson (2009)


Rian Johnson made his debut as a feature filmmaker with Brick, a modern-day film noir set in a high school and starring that kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun. It could have been a complete joke, a retread of the Scott Baio vehicle, Bugsy Malone. Instead, it was a sharply written first-time effort, that was part Raymond Chandler, part John Hughes. For his second film, Johnson decided to tackle the heist film genre, inspired by films like The Sting and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. And thus was born, The Brothers Bloom.

The titular siblings are Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody). We’re not really sure if that’s his first or last name. I mean, are they like the Mario Brothers? Would that make them Stephen Bloom and Bloom Bloom? In any event, the pair are orphans and start off in the con game as kids where Stephen writes out the con as if he were a florid Russian novelist. His motto is the perfect con is the one where "everyone gets what they want." Bloom, however, grows weary of having his entire life written out for him and retired to Montenegro. Stephen eventually tracks him down with the help of their silent partner, an explosives expert named Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi). The brothers’ new mark is an eccentric heiress, Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz), who lives alone in her Xanadu-esque mansion collecting hobbies. She plays numerous musical instruments, dabbles in photography, juggling chainsaws, and crashing expensive Lamborghinis. Stephen’s Machiavellian plot this time around involves posting as art smugglers and coaxing Penelope for a globe-trotting adventure in order to bilk her of a couple million dollars. Of course, Bloom falls for her, putting a crimp in Stephen’s plans.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Robbie Coltrane as another cohort known only as the Belgian (though he may not actually be Belgian) and Maximillian Schell as the brothers’ former mentor, the Diamond Dog.

Many new filmmakers suffer a case of the sophomore slump after a strong debut. They get studio offers, bigger budgets, access to name actors, and a move towards the mainstream. Most fall short of the high expectations held by fans and critics. Shari Springer Bergman & Robert Pulcini followed up their excellent translation of Harvey Pekar’s semi-autobiographical comic book, American Splendor, with the anemic chick-lit adaptation The Nanny Diaries. Another example would be Justin Lin and pretty much everything he’s done since Better Luck Tomorrow. Though both of Johnson’s films exist in a nebulous time and place just outside of reality, Brothers Bloom is a drastic departure from the dour ambience of Brick, it remains a strong, if uneven, effort from Johnson.

Brothers Bloom is the type of film that relies on pulling a fast one on the audience which is part and parcel for a heist movie. There are plenty of twists and turns as the narrative unfolds. Much like Tony Gilroy’s Duplicity, Brothers Bloom tries to be too clever for its own good. It’s self-consciously quirky and feels awfully proud of itself for being able to reference James Joyce.

The film shines when it allows the characters to simply be. There’s great chemistry between Brody and Ruffalo who got along swimmingly off-screen. Both actors have a lot of fun with their roles. Rinko Kikuchi was one of the only bright spots of the insipid and preachy Babel and she shines in another silent role. She displays some excellent comic timing. The true star of the production is Rachel Weisz in one of her best roles. She’s funny, warm, and it’s easy to see how Brody’s character could so easily fall in love with her. I should also point out Ms. Weisz really did learn the ukulele, juggling, martial arts, skateboarding, and card tricks amongst other skills for the part.

The Brothers Bloom is The Sting if it had been directed by a less meticulous Wes Anderson. Johnson helms the picture with clever style and there are plenty of gorgeous locations. It’s a fun and breezy film, but it won’t leave much of an impression on you once the credits roll.

Rating: ** 1/2