Movies: Brick

I love Film Noir. It’s probably my favourite genre. I love the classics (The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity), and I love the later neo-noir flicks (Chinatown, L.A. Confidential). Possibly my favourite of the latter is Brick, a 2005 neo-noir, directed by Rian Johnson, who went on to helm The Brothers Bloom and Looper.

When I first watched Brick at the cinema, I thought it was the most original, stylish film that I’d ever seen – and I still think it’s up there. It’s a modern take on a hardboiled detective story, as Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a sullen high-school student, attempts to solve the murder of his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie De Ravin). On the surface, it seems as if it’s all been done to death, but in true noir style, the plot is complex and layered, and the betrayals and twists mount throughout the film’s running time. What’s exceptional about the film, though, is its style. While set in and around a high-school, it takes all of its cues from Dashiell Hammett’s hardboiled classics, so that through Brendan and his lowlife associates, we’re presented with a variety of classic noir archetypes: the stoic loner, the criminal mastermind and the femme fatale among them.

It’s Brick’s dialogue that stood out to me on first viewing. It’s dense, full of coded messages and tricky turns of phrase. Johnson’s cast deliver it with confidence and fluency, so it can take a couple of viewings to understand everything, especially given the complexity of the plot. The cast are excellent, and considering that my only exposure to Joseph Gordon-Levitt had been in 10 Things I Hate About You and 3rd Rock From the Sun, I thought his performance was pretty revelatory. Of course, now he’s a big star. Turns out I’m pretty clever. It’s also kind of weird to see Lukas Haas’s crime kingpin after watching him be a little Amish boy in Witness.

Also worth watching: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Another brilliant neo-noir, though this one’s a comedy. Stars Robert Downey Jr, post-jail, but pre-Iron Man. It’s brilliant.

Pun of the Day! You’d be thick to miss Brick!

Less of a pun, more of a rhyme. I’m rubbish. Here’s the trailer.