2005 saw Rian Johnson make his directorial debut with the film Brick. It was a remarkable achievement, especially when you consider that he made it for less than $500,000; this amount would normally only just about cover the cost of having Harrison Ford’s left foot for three minutes in your film in Hollywood terms.

The Brothers Bloom, which he also wrote, is only his second film, and yet his budget increased to a rather more playful $20 million. It’s clear that you certainly get more bang for your buck, but does bigger really mean better?

Bloom (Adrien Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) are brothers. Since an early age, moving from one foster home to the next, they have been perfecting the art of the con. As grown-ups, they’ve pretty much mastered the ability to make money from their marks, usually in the most elaborate and theatrical fashion.

Bloom reaches a point in his life however, when he needs more than just the thrill of the con. He decides that he wants out, and his next job will be his last. His swansong con becomes complicated though, when the mark they decide on is the wealthy Penelope (Rachel Weisz); she is like no woman that Bloom has ever met and finds himself quickly falling for her. This doesn’t prevent the team from quitting the con though, as it sends them all on an adventure across Europe.

During all the mayhem that follows them on their trip, Bloom soon faces a dilemma: what’s more important, stealing Penelope’s money or her heart?

Really, one lousy hug, that's all I'm asking for!

With the extra cash in his pocket Johnson shows that he knows how to put it to good use. has a fairytale quality to it, seemingly set between old and new worlds. It’s a huge canvas with which Johnson not only has fun filling in the blank spaces but also the talent. The final result feels heavily influenced particularly by the work of Wes Anderson and Emir Kursturica. It’s a curious mix, but one that never fails to impress.

The story too has real momentum, despite the fact that at times it’s not always clear which direction it’s going. Its waves of vagueness still somehow manage to add to its charm though.

Where it comes off the rails however, just like his debut, is with its chilled emotional performances. The worlds he creates appear to be at least one or two steps removed from reality; this wouldn’t normally be a problem, but his characters suffer severely for it. Not only are they disconnected from one another, but also the audience. At times it’s as if the film is pretty smug with itself for being so darn clever; this comes at a cost, being that there is no warmth to any of the characters. Ironically the only genuine likeable character is Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi), who literally utters a handful of words throughout.

Brody, Ruffalo and Weisz do their best, but the script, as zippy as it is, doesn’t allow them to thaw their characters to the point of likeability.

There’s no doubt it’s a thrilling adventure, but the whole ride is made slightly less enjoyable by the fact that none of the characters are worth caring for. The Bloom Brothers suffers from being a Tin Man of film – it just doesn’t have a heart.

And although, on the surface at least, the film looks like $20 million well spent, audiences begged to differ; it’s box office takings struggled to earn even a quarter of its own budget. Hopefully Johnson will learn that investing some heartfelt emotion into his scripts could prove far more rewarding for everyone.