Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and younger brother Bloom (Adrien Brody) are constantly shuffled in the foster system. They learn over the years to be great con artists where the best con is when everybody gets what they want. Their life of con leaves them few friends other than a mysterious mostly silent sidekick Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi) who loves to blow things up. Bloom wants to quit the cons but Stephen talks him into doing one last con on an eccentric heiress Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz).

This is stylized quirkiness from writer/director Rian Johnson. Everybody is quirky and likable. The pace could be quicker. The plot is overtly complicated and ridiculous. And Rachel Weisz is just so lovely. It is uniquely wacky.

There is a lot going on in this movie besides a complex con. Two brothers, Steven and William Bloom are con artists, and that is artists with a capital A. Steven (the older brother) creates cons, so we are told like a dead Russian novelist wrote stories. The best cons are ones where everyone gets what they want. William, the younger brother is shy and reclusive. He denies he is really that way, that is just how his brother scripts him. Yet when William is alone, he is still shy and reclusive. William wants an "unwritten life" and leaves his brother, only to be found by his brother months later who needs him for one final con.

Somewhere along the line an Asian woman who speaks very little English, or so it seems, has joined the brothers. She is an expert in demolition. She appears to understand English. Take note of her actions which are typically being done in the background as they are symbolic of the scene or mood of the characters, especially William.

Steven creates cons for his shy brother to meet women, whom William rejects because he convinces himself he doesn't have true feelings for her, because his role is scripted by his brother to talk to her.

The final con involves Rachel Weisz, as Penelope a shy rich recluse who has learned much about life from books and has mastered many arts, including card tricks, which leads one to think, "Is she part of the con being played on William, or is she actually being conned?" The beauty of the movie is that we never really find out, although there are all kinds of clues which makes us suspect something more is going on.

Penelope, in spite of all of her smarts has yet to master the left peddle of her sports car. She willingly goes along with the cons and at one point takes the lead.

The movie is masterfully done. I was hooked after the first con they perform as kids. Kudos.

The movie might be too complex for it's own good. It definitely is one of the movies, that you have to pay attention too and can't just sit back and relax and let the picture entertain you. I'm not judging the fact, that this is more a thinking movie, than an entertaining one. It's just seems to miss a few notes, which will leave you with a strange taste at the end of the movie.

Acting-wise this is really great and the many twists and turns are really cool, too. Although again, it might feel too much for some. I liked the movie in general and what was done with the theme. It is nicely paced too, despite a few bumps along the ride. I loved the ending, but it still wasn't as affecting as it could/should've been ...