Victim of Culture

The Brothers Bloom might be this summer’s unlikeliest blockbuster

No, it isn’t likely to draw bigger numbers than Wolverine or Transformers 2, but that likely won’t stop The Brothers Bloom from doing big bucks at the box office.  How come?  A smart online advertising campaign, great festival buzz and a charismatic cast could make it the (sort of) little film that could.

The Brothers Bloom stars Adrian Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel Weisz.  While none of the listed are exactly A-list openers like Matt Damon or Tom Hanks, they are all recognizable names to much of the viewing audience.  But that’s not what will save The Brothers Bloom.  No, instead like Enchanted before it, Bloom comes off as an easily accessible, fun movie that isn’t entirely based around fart jokes and explosions.  How often do you see those at the theater anymore?

In bad economic times, with uncertainly about two wars in the Middle East, do Americans really want more things exploding?  One wonders if The Dark Knight would be as successful in summer ‘09 as it was in summer ‘08?  Do we really wan to see brooding heroes, or do we want light hearted fun that helps us forget reality for a while?  Call it catharsis, call it burying our heads in the sand—whatever!  Many people are simply sick and tried of feeling sick and tried.

Is all of that enough to make The Brothers Bloom a hit?  No, of course not.  But an excellent film is.  See the trailer and the opening scene below, and decide for yourself.

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