CMJ Film Fest Review: The Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom is a cute quirky film quite reminiscent of The Darjeeling Limited and no it wasn't because the film shared the same NYIndieSeen favorite talent Mr. Adrien Brody. BUT...I digress and say that this movie is what I like to call a smunny flick. Smunny movies are films that are smart and funny at the same time. The film is about two brothers played by Indieseen favorites Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo who are both con-artists. They've been conning since they were kids. Really...kid cons.

The movie begins that way and then takes us to the present as the brothers-- who are now adults in their prime. Our friend Bloom, (played by Brody) is jaded by his conniving ways and wants to retire from the swindling business. However, his brother Stephen (played by Ruffalo) who sees what he does as an art form, persuades his sibling to pull off just one more con. The ultimate plan to extort 1.75 million dollars from a wealthy heiress.

Of course the plan goes awry when Bloom finds that he's falling in love with the girl played by Rachel Weisz. However, in my opinion; one of the funniest, cutest, and interesting characters in the entire movie has absolutely little to no dialogue. Rinko Kikuchi , who also had a mute role in the film Babel, plays Bang Bang the 3rd "silent partner" with tha brothaz. The wardrobe attire of the actors is quite dated...in the sense that we forget this film is set in present day, but their outfits look like this film should have taken place in the late 19th centry and maybe very early 20th. I love Bang Bang's wardrobes and "Olseneque" bug eyed sunglasses. She's got a cool swagger with her constant smoking and condescending attitude. Lovez it!

The movie literaly takes us around the world as the the crew takes us from Prague to Mexico to New Jersey. An interesting film that was recently screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival and is scheduled in limited release on December 19th. If you're a fan of smunny movies you'll love The Brothers Bloom. A heist film mixed with romance, lies and deceit. What more can you ask for??

SEEN In NYC

Who was caught in Mannyhatty this week???





Julia Roberts caught strolling on W 23rd St in Madison Square Park. Looked adorably cute with no makeup on and skinny as a Rwandan refugee










Adrien Brody's fine ass was seen at Lafayette St and Astor Place with his girlfriend and was quite recognizable with his trademark nose and physique.











Natasha Lyonne 7th Ave South in West Village trying to score some Crank...just kiddin!













James Franco on 85th and Madison hailing a cab and looking hotter than ever! I want like 10,000 of his babies!











Robin Williams seen looking for his career on 56th and 6th Ave. Won't find it there buddy.

Brody and Wright in the same Movie??? SAY IT AINT SO!

So 2 of our IndieSeen Favorites Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright will be starring in a film 2gether called Cadillac Records. So of course we plan on going to the screening openin-freakin nite! Originally Matt Damon was set to star in the anticipated flick but bowed at the last minute and Brody took over. Thank Gawd....kinda tired of seein Matt Damon's punchbag face (don't his face look a lil squished in??). He needs the break anyway...

So Jeffrey Wright---the most underrated extremely talented God-given gifted human being in all of cinema is also starring which is always a movie worth looking forward to. Adrien has taken on the role of Leonard Chess, and Wright will be Muddy Waters in the feature, which starts filming in March. They will be joined by Columbus Short (Stomp the Yard), Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage), Cedric the Entertainer (Code Name: The Cleaner), and Tammy Blanchard (Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows).

Oh yea...but there's one more thing...Beyonce Knowles is playing Etta James. Fuuuuuucccckkk!!!! Okay sorry, but damn we were on a roll here! We have some talented A-list Academy Award and Tony Award winning actors in the lead roles and then casting had to fuck up and bring Beyonce into the picture. We're not hatin or anything...but really...who says this girl can act? She should stick to singing Bootylicious anthems and being Jay-Z's damaged goods. OUCH. Well yall know what we mean....

Anyways, we just don't understand why why why Beyonce should be cast when there are some MAJORLY talented sistas out there who should have played Etta James. Does NYIndieSeen need to bust out with casting suggestions as to who should have played the role? I mean we can if yall want us too...but we're gonna have to start charging.

Well we'll see how this pans out. If Beyonce fails miserably as an actress (and I'm quite sure she will) then perhaps Hollywood will finally see that seeing her on celluloid is a complete waste of time....and money.

SOURCE: Cinematical

I SEENtz You!

Adrien Brody's fine ass was spotted at 23rd and Park Ave South. Damn! I probably passed right by him!!

Ron Livingston was seen at a Cafe on 73 E Houston St. Was Berger eating a a burger?? Yea, that was mad corny.

Lucy Liu was at 210 W 10th St. Just finishing up the Sex N The City knockoff Cashmere Mafia.

Scary Spice's Babidaddy was seen at 59th and 5th Ave wishing to gawd that he shouldn't have made Daddy Day Care.

Leonardo DiCaprio at 110 Waverly Place looking good like the fine specimen that he is.

Indie Pick O' The Day: Liberty Heights

Liberty Heights

This Barry Levinson film is a coming of age story about four friends in 1950’s Baltimore, Maryland. The film deals with racism and relationships. The protagonists are Jewish and run into anti-Semitic behavior among their peers whom they go to school with.

However, Ben a high school senior runs into more racial resistance when he starts dating Sylvia an attractive African-American student at his school. He really falls for this girl and even has to deal with the ignorant attitudes of his family members and friends.

Although this film sounds heavy and dramatic, its actually a lighthearted comedy. Some of the funniest moments in this film occur when Ben meets Sylvia’s parents for the first time and even when Ben and Sylvia attend a James Brown concert. If you look closely, you’ll notice that Sylvia’s father is none other than Dr. Richard Webber who is played by James Pickens Jr. Yall don’t know who Dr. Webber is? Ok, time for Grey’s Anatomy 101…click here. Another Grey’s Anatomy alumni is in this film...Dr. Alex Karev. That’s Justin Chambers if you don’t watch Grey’s. He plays Trey Tobleseted. This was actually Justin’s first feature film.

Then the film stars Joe Mantegna who has some gambling debt that he owes to a small-time drug dealer played by Orlando Jones (he also has Anthony Anderson as his sidekick). See, this movie isn’t exactly a drama..its really a comedy. My favorite scenes are with Jones and Anderson in their loan-shark business.

Last but certainly not least, is the yummy-skinny-but-sexy Adrien Brody. He stars as Ben’s brother Van who is in love with Debbie. The perfect girl who he thinks is just too good for him. She of course doesn’t even realize he exists, but he does everything in his power to get noticed.
It’s a cute quirky film that has some sexy upcoming actors and a down-to-earth storyline about interracial relationships and the dynamics of high school cliques.

SEEN O' The Day: Dummy

Here is a scene from Dummy

An ex-office worker becomes a ventriloquist, leading to a date with his unemployment counselor; but his quirky family and a gauche female friend may thwart his new career and love life.

IndieSeen Favorite: Adrien Brody

He’s sexy. Yea, I know he’s all skinny and stuff but still. He has a charisma that many actors just don’t have.

I mean, he’s not your stereotypical pretty boy sexy, but he’s got sex appeal that just translates on screen in every film he’s in. I remember seeing Adrien Brody in this indie film called Restaurant. I was surprised because Lauryn Hill was in and I was like, WTF? He actually played her ex boyfriend in the film...hotness. He also resumes another interracial relationship with Elise Neal in the film. It’s basically about these New Jersey waiters who dream of becoming actors…sounds all too real right? Then he was the little Jewish boy in Liberty Heights. He was sooo cute. This Barry Levinson film was about race relations in 1950s Baltimore. It dealt with all issues of your typical coming of age film from anti-semitism to interracial dating.


Then he was in another indie film called Dummy. Its an odd quirky film about a ventriloquist who’s life is lived through his dummy who he keeps on knee and to his heart as he lives his dysfunctional life. However, Adrien’s life was about to change after he finished filming Dummy. He went on to star as the lead in a film called The Pianist.

The film is about a Polish Jewish musician who struggles to survive the Holocaust in World War 2. His performance was mesmerizing and everyone was fooled that the accent was fictional. I mean…I knew that becuz I saw him in Liberty Heights. However, Adrien didn’t become a movie star until The Pianist was released and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Of course after that he went on to make one A list movie to the next. Films like
The Village, King Kong, and Hollywoodland just to name a few. He’s currently here in NYC filming Darjeeling Unlimited. This Queens-bred boy with a strong affinity for hip hop, can always be seen walkin the streets of New York.


I hoped to be grabbed like Halle if I present an Oscar to him…

SEEN IN NYC

Take a look at who was spotted in NYC this week!





Lelee Sobieski was at 239 W 52nd St at the Roseland Ballroom. Great skin, not too fugly.

Britney Spears at 48th and 6th Ave dancing on a couch at Marquee...defintely looked fugged out.













Cuba Gooding Jr. at 180 Prince St at Raoul's eatin a salad and thinking about his horrible career moves in the past few years.










Ed Norton on W 47th St going on a double date with Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz (ok we're kidding about the Salma and Penelope part!)













Lucy Liu at 119 7th Ave sitting down with some friends looking cute and bundled up for winter.














Adrien Brody 44-11 44th Ave (in Queens) filming a movie called Darjeeling Limited.