Fresh-faced writer-director Rian Johnson does the unthinkable with his follow-up to 2005 cult hit "Brick," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt: he actually outdoes himself, by again creating a fantastical yet believable universe with cinematic fiction. "The Brothers Bloom" is as ambitious as second films get -- it's about everything and nothing, with a plot that takes its characters trotting across Europe in an era that could be 2010 but which at times seems more like 1810, as they contemplate the meaning of life and art. <br /><br />This film would not have worked without its incredible cast. Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo throw themselves full-on into the story, Rachel Weisz is again at the top of the form as the dreamlike, beautiful and haunting Penelope; and the supporting cast from Rinko Kikuchi to Robbie Coltrane are also having lots of fun along the ride. The original soundtrack is beautiful; the photography is beautiful, dynamic, colorful and daring; what is there to complain about?<br /><br />Actually, quite a bit. There are holes in the plot, certain logical inconsistencies, and a general feeling that the film has more "heart" than "head," if I can put it that way. It's a bit confusing and the plot can buck you if you're not careful. However, after a second viewing I found that the plot does make sense, if you pay attention; and if you'll let it get into your head, there are rewarding depths of profundity and meaning in the tiniest details. This is a film to be watched again and again.<br /><br />That said, I found the film to be so enjoyable and so original that it earns a 10/10 despite its flaws -- like a brief hint of a plot with a supposed nemesis that goes absolutely nowhere (save in the deleted scenes). I would also like to comment that the DVD has the best behind- the-scenes featurette of any DVD I've seen; instead of a hodgepodge of scenes from the movie you just watched, it's sincere, fun fly-on-the- wall hand-held footage of the actors and crew hard at work. We can't wait to see what this wunderkind does with his next project, Looper, which "is set in a present-day world in which a group of hit men are sent their victims from the future."