This movie wasn't even released in a very widespread fashion and was made for under 500 thousand dollars. I can appreciate that much of it. However, it is extremely far-fetched in its plot and presentation and I can't help but think that this was the objective and I am just not the right target audience.
The film follows Brendan Frye (played by Joseph Gorden-Levitt) who is a loner high-school student who is having difficulty coming to terms with his breaking up with his girlfriend. Something bad happens to her and he is left with a bunch of clues that leads him down a path to try to figure out what happened (additional details intentionally withheld to avoid spoiling.) The cinematography is good, the acting is solid but there are a few problems that I have with the overall story.
For one thing, It is very difficult to follow what the hell is going on. The situations are so far-fetched and the interactions with other characters almost seems like something out of a dream rather than actual occurrences. This was almost certainly intentional on the part of Rian Johnson who wrote and directed the film. This is years before he wrote and directed the Star Wars franchise into oblivion.
The other problem I have with this movie is that a vast majority of the characters are high-school students. Seeing large group of teenagers that have created a criminal network of drug distribution from their parents' basements is beyond ridiculous in my opinion. Everyone just seems to do whatever they want whenever they want with no fear of authority intervening, including dragging dead bodies around in broad daylight and kidnapping from public parking lots. The lavish parties and wealth / power that these people who probably only recently got a driving license is a sure way to keep my eyes rolling for long periods of time. Also, despite the fact that he is a great actor, Joe Levitt is far too small to be a convincing tough guy and that is precisely what he is portrayed as in this movie.
I actually started scanning through the remainder of the film about 3/4 of the way in. I just scanned through the rest because well, i wasn't enjoying it.
For people that appreciate extremely artsy films this might be for you. I am "neither here nor there" on my opinion of this sort of thing. For me, the movie was too confusing and the characters too young to be believable. I gave a few extra points because they were able to make this thing for so little money and still make it look great.
It's been years since I've seen it, but when I first watched this I was completely in love with this film for reasons that I don't quite know how to put into words. It just felt like a love letter to classic Hollywood Noir and Crime Dramas. You mentioned several times that it didn't feel believable to you, but while I agree with you I also have to note that it was never the intent. The 1930s lines were just transposed onto teens and its jarring to watch, but just made for this incredibly unique experience as teens played out the tropes of classic films with deadpan seriousness.
I'd be the first to say that this film isn't for everyone and it certainly isn't without it's faults. I think that because these characters operate as the embodiment of crime archetypes of a time past, it makes it hard to care about their fates because it seems so out of reality, but for a modern entry into a dead genre of films with absolute commitment to its concept in a way that makes this film flawed but uniquely endearing to me.
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I'm hesitant to say that 'Brick' is probably even better than I'm giving it credit for, I just need to watch it again. Out of all Johnson's films, this feels like the most personal, and the screenplay has clearly been crafted with great care. There's a general sense throughout that this is both something we've seen, as well as something totally unique. I can honestly say that there isn't really a film like 'Brick' out there; and yet I can also say that this film owes a debt to a great many films. At first I didn't recognise it, but this is, quite clearly, a new take on the classic noir we all love so dearly, and Johnson's update is vastly compelling. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in what must be his best performance, exudes coolness in this movie. He's both an outcast skinny kid with glasses and a fist-fighting bad-ass all at once, and his personal ties with the main mystery make his character even more compelling. You can tell Johnson was slightly limited by budget, but with a measly $450,000, I think he did the absolute most he could. You definitely get a sense of his style, which would of course become more refined later with 'Looper', but there's an energy with this films direction that really makes his presence behind the camera felt at all times. This is a smart, taut and highly creative reimagining of a well-worn genre that requires your whole attention with its fast-moving developments, but one that with repeat viewings could easily move up a star.
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Love the discussion.
To each their own.
I really like noir and classic detective films and enjoyed the surreal high school spin.
I understand someone not getting into it but do enjoy it myself.
Cheers.
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I just watched the trailer...and it makes no sense to me, either. Might be a good idea in there somewhere, but it doesn't look like something I will actively seek out. Thanks for letting me in on your insight!
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