I have been on the Brick bandwagon for months now; and ever since seeing it at the Columbus Alive Deep Focus Film Festival in May I have been absolutely engrossed in the astounding brilliance of this film. It is so hard these days to find films that are so original, so daring and so faithful to a genre.
Rian Johnson’s modern-day high school crime drama in a world that noir built sets the stage for a story that keeps us guessing as much as it pins our asses to our seats. As with classic noir, the film sets its main character, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, in a cynical world, trapped in the midst of turmoil and mystery. Levitt’s Brendon is a loner, a self-inflicted reject of the mass populous of his high school – but he loves Emily (Emilie De Raven). And when Emily turns up dead, Brendon buries himself in the underground world of drugs and corruption that claimed the life of his sweetheart.
And therein lies the hook – the moment when Brendan sets out to find out what happened to Emily. The film, which begins methodically, then moves forward with a feverish pace filled with sharp dialogue and erratic twists and turns. It is a true stroke of brilliance in filmmaking, especially for such a young director. Johnson is able to capture the attention of his audience, reel them in, and slap them in the face with the mother of all cliffhangers in the end. It is this fact that sets Brick apart from other films that I have seen this year; the story is engaging and delicious, the acting is right on the money, and the director’s style reeks more of years of experience rather than having no previous features under his belt.
And while I could talk about the fantastic style or bright future of the young director, I cannot overlook the amazing performances that bring this cold world to life. Joseph Gordon Levitt, whom you may only remember from Mysterious Skin or even more notably from the TV show Third Rock from the Sun, delivers the performance of a lifetime as our downtrodden hero Brendan. It is very easy to see the ferocious rage and emotion that lies beneath Brendan’s snide, collected persona. In combination with that, relative newcomer Nora Zehetner plays Laura, the girl whose devious motive often gets lost in her ability to manipulate the situation around her. Zehetner’s performance is scary good, making me glad that I have never run across such an intelligent tramp as Laura. In combination with Levitt, her performance breathes an amazing amount of life into this already rich story, making for what I will once again proclaim as my “favorite film of the year, hands down!”
Article comments
1 - kanrei
I heard of this movie from an Ebert review and awaited its release here, but it never came. I soon forgot about it, but saw it in the store the other day. I was wondering if I should just blind-buy it. I was not sure. Your review helped me decide. I can't wait to see it now. Thanks.
2 - Ty
"The Downside: The film was sentenced only to the Film Festival circuit, so the buzz around the DVD is low."
Not true! The film played at indie theaters in major markets all over the country. I saw it at Cinearts Theater in SJ, CA.
To me, it is the best movie I've seen this year too, and I bought it first day on DVD.