Brick, the new film from director Rian Johnson (May) and winner of the Originality of Vision Award at Sundance, is a film that follows the adventures of a high school student, Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a kind of self-appointed private eye. The trailer is enticing on the first viewing, but loses some of its power when viewed again. The previews for films with multiple nuances rarely capture exactly what they intend. Yet for all of the trailer's problems, it forewarns, probably unintentionally, that this is a film of contradiction. The first watch is enticing, the ones that follow reveal an ugly aspect that makes the film look silly. The contradictions in the film itself make it worth your while.
1. Noir, yet modern. Roger Ebert's quote reads: "Noir to its very bones!" Perhaps he's right. The film follows a single character who wants to solve a single mystery to avenge the death of someone he loves. A complicated trail leads him to pieces of the puzzle that fit perfectly together (see #6). The film has little to no bad language, which is uncommon (especially in films about teenagers) and hearkens back to another era. Yet there is a reason Johnson filmed in color. The events of the film, although surprisingly distant from modern technology, could only have happened in a modern world and could only have sprung from a modern mind. More on this in #3.
2. Keep up, yet slow down. Go see this film with your friends, preferably some people who aren't geniuses. Wait until the credits start (if they can wait that long), and see if the first sentences out of their mouths aren't questions. Chances are that there will be a string of queries in the film's wake. To be honest, I have a hankering for a second viewing myself, not just because I enjoyed the film but because there are definitely some unanswered questions. Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay, dares you to keep up. Yet the cinematography (Steve Yedline) and direction, even the acting, beg you to take a second look. The moments of peace, the deep breaths between the action, scream (irony intended) at the viewer to take in the beauty existent even in a world full of twists and brokenness.
3. High school students, yet independent. This is probably the contrast that, if you didn't like this film, turned you off. "These kids are in high school?" is probably another response you'll hear after the credits roll or have yourself during the film. Yes, it's unbelievable. There's no way this actually could have happened. Good. We got that out of the way. Nonetheless, Brick has enough fact, enough "truth," to ring true. Perhaps it takes place in the not-so-distant future; maybe its action occurs in another world. Regardless, the kids in the movie are in high school. But their actions are their own. There is hardly any mention of parents, and when there is, there is no question that they will never know or understand any of the film's happenings. This, too, contributes to the film's modernity.
4. Ugly, yet beautiful. See #2. What strange bedfellows are beauty and violence! 5. Good guy, yet very bad. This is the film's true brilliance, and the brilliance of other film noirs. You root for Brendan, the protagonist. You simply can't help it; you want him to win, to overcome the odds and come out victorious on the other side of things. But who is this guy? Why does he love Emily? Does he love Emily? What secrets lie in his past? What good will it do if he does find answers? Joseph Gordon-Leavitt embodies Brick's mystery, but also manages to capture the spirit of the likable hero. More on this in #6.
6. Mystery solved? Watch the movie and wait until the end. I don't want to spoil it for you. See this, especially if you're still young enough to feel it and old enough to appreciate it.
9 out of 10.
1. Noir, yet modern. Roger Ebert's quote reads: "Noir to its very bones!" Perhaps he's right. The film follows a single character who wants to solve a single mystery to avenge the death of someone he loves. A complicated trail leads him to pieces of the puzzle that fit perfectly together (see #6). The film has little to no bad language, which is uncommon (especially in films about teenagers) and hearkens back to another era. Yet there is a reason Johnson filmed in color. The events of the film, although surprisingly distant from modern technology, could only have happened in a modern world and could only have sprung from a modern mind. More on this in #3.
2. Keep up, yet slow down. Go see this film with your friends, preferably some people who aren't geniuses. Wait until the credits start (if they can wait that long), and see if the first sentences out of their mouths aren't questions. Chances are that there will be a string of queries in the film's wake. To be honest, I have a hankering for a second viewing myself, not just because I enjoyed the film but because there are definitely some unanswered questions. Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay, dares you to keep up. Yet the cinematography (Steve Yedline) and direction, even the acting, beg you to take a second look. The moments of peace, the deep breaths between the action, scream (irony intended) at the viewer to take in the beauty existent even in a world full of twists and brokenness.
3. High school students, yet independent. This is probably the contrast that, if you didn't like this film, turned you off. "These kids are in high school?" is probably another response you'll hear after the credits roll or have yourself during the film. Yes, it's unbelievable. There's no way this actually could have happened. Good. We got that out of the way. Nonetheless, Brick has enough fact, enough "truth," to ring true. Perhaps it takes place in the not-so-distant future; maybe its action occurs in another world. Regardless, the kids in the movie are in high school. But their actions are their own. There is hardly any mention of parents, and when there is, there is no question that they will never know or understand any of the film's happenings. This, too, contributes to the film's modernity.
4. Ugly, yet beautiful. See #2. What strange bedfellows are beauty and violence! 5. Good guy, yet very bad. This is the film's true brilliance, and the brilliance of other film noirs. You root for Brendan, the protagonist. You simply can't help it; you want him to win, to overcome the odds and come out victorious on the other side of things. But who is this guy? Why does he love Emily? Does he love Emily? What secrets lie in his past? What good will it do if he does find answers? Joseph Gordon-Leavitt embodies Brick's mystery, but also manages to capture the spirit of the likable hero. More on this in #6.
6. Mystery solved? Watch the movie and wait until the end. I don't want to spoil it for you. See this, especially if you're still young enough to feel it and old enough to appreciate it.
9 out of 10.