Brothers, Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody), who as orphans bonded in childhood and were mentored into highly skilled con men by an enigmatic Fagin figure (Maximilian Schell). By adulthood, they have established a fail-safe formula: Stephen is the “head,” creating elaborate plots with a Machiavellian glee, and Bloom is the “heart,” charged with playing the part of the front man. Bloom as moody as Stephen is driven, wants to quit after every assignment. Stephen finally implores him to do one more job – one so sweet it cannot be refused – agreeing to dissolve the partnership upon its completion.

Their mark: an innocent, lonely New Jersey heiress – Penelope (Rachel Weisz). The mission: get her to invest in a scheme involving smugglers, antiquarian books and cave chambers under Prague Castle. She takes the bait, but under one condition: that she accompany the brothers on the adventure. This unexpected twist sees Bloom, for one, secretly happy, as Penelope’s sweet charm and eccentric intelligence have touched something deep within him for the first time in his peripatetic life.

The trio sets off by train, boat and caravan to numerous destinations around the world, joined by the brothers’ usual sidekick, the mute, explosives-obsessed, fashion-forward Bang Bang (memorably played by Babel’s Rinko Kikuchi). Affection blossoms between Bloom and Penelope, even as the wheels start falling off Stephen’s Byzantine scheme.

The Brothers Bloom is a visual delight, harking back to classic road movies and giving design nods to everyone from Salvador Dalí to Balenciaga. Ruffalo and Brody are utterly believable as brothers, and despite her varied career, it may be that Weisz has never created so warm and intelligently sexy a character. At one point in the film, Stephen opines, “The best con is when everyone gets what they want.” For an audience that wants laughter, adventure and romance, this is the best con of the year.

Director: Rian Johnson

Website: www.brothersbloom.com.

Individual tickets available for the April 24 screening (7:30 p.m., AMC Mainstreet).
Festival Passes available at the KC Jubilee Store.