The follow up to Rian Johnson's breakout debut 'Brick' is a jaunty, caper flick that is a modernist throwback to nifty 50's crime comedies that occasionally borders on slapstick and almost manages to out fox the audience by wearing its heart on its sleeve (and keeping a few cards tucked up it).

We first meet the titular brothers going from foster family to foster family, as American magician Ricky Jay provides narration (cinemagoers note: if Ricky Jay provides narration/is in the film expect the bizarre/twisty, see also 'Magnolia', 'Heist' and 'The Prestige'), it's a wonderful introduction that neatly sets up the characters of Bloom and Stephen, with 'Where The Wild Things Are' actor Max Records delivering a particularly excellent peformance as the young Stephen. It also introduces us to the 15 step con that becomes the brother's livelihood after this introductory prologue.

We hop, skip and jump forward to the grown up brothers at the end of another grand con, Stephen (Mark Ruffalo, effortlessly charming) penning the complex sleight-of-hand to a tee, which Bloom (Adrien Brody) breaks down for our benefit. The third member of their trickster trio is Bang Bang ('Babel' Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi) who speaks in explosions rather than words. With Bloom retiring from the con racket and hiding out in Montenegro he is soon discovered by his brother and reluctantly talked into one last con.

The mark is Rachel Weisz's eccentric shut-in millionaire Penelope, and her performance is a dazzling reminder of the great actress Weisz often isn't (her recent C.V. boasts 'Fred Claus', 'Eragon'). The quartet set off on a globe-trotting romp in which Bloom finds himself dangerously close to falling in love with Penelope.

Johnson's film, for it's first hour, is an absolute nigh-on perfect treat, it's edited with such breezy skill, performed with nuance and dry humour, the costumes and locations are gorgeous. You are sat in your chair bemoaning that this film wasn't a huge breakthrough hit when it was barely shuffled into American cinemas over a year ago, and you cross you fingers that European audiences will embrace it like you are. Alas things stumble somewhat - but not too detrimentally - in the second half as the plot inevitably nudges the far more enjoyable character development aside. The problem with the con movie is that the audience is constantly trying to second guess the narrative, and Johnson artfully avoided this by making the narrative play second fiddle, with the audience enjoying the interplay and the trivial so much he'd practically set himself up the perfect opportunity to sideswipe everybody and produce an ending as surprising as, say, 'The Usual Suspects'. Unfortunately the opposite occurs and come the final act you forget to care about the fate of the characters as your too busy predicting their next move, and the appearance of Maximilian Schell as Diamond Dog is the film's only piece of poor casting and costuming stripping the film of a much needed sense of danger.

Regardless of these negative criticisms though the film remains a hugely enjoyable experience right through to the closing credits and a picture that is bound to retain a cult following.

'The Brothers Bloom' is playing at the Duke of York's Picturehouse on July 6th, 7th and 14th.