Brick Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

Don't believe the hype

I'd read dozens of reviews for this film. They all seemed to agree that this was some kind of masterpiece that fused the high school drama with film noir in an original, fresh and exciting way.

As a fan of both of these genres, I was so looking forward to seeing this film - man, was I disappointed!

The only things fused are pretentiousness and twaddle. I would write more but having given up an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back, I'm reluctant to waste any more time.

Avoid, avoid... this film is a void.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Brick

Noir so defined its time that it is a genre seldom attempted now despite the fact that neo noir has given us some truly outstanding films. Brick is one of these. Point of fact it's the best noir since The Last Seduction.

Our guide and detective is Brendan a high school senior trying to find out who is responsible for his ex-girlfriend's death. In his task he gets embroiled in the drug running operation of local boss 'The Pin'.

I'm not going to say more about the plot for two reasons, first it is extremely convoluted and secondly its many surprises should be discovered as they unfold.

Rian Johnson debuts as both writer and director but in both departments the film is so assured that it's amazing he's never done this before. The script invents its own language, a set of slang words that seem both archaic and cutting edge, and has a seam of humour as dry and black as a saharan night.

Johnson also draws fine performances from his young cast. Joseph Gordon Levitt is fast becoming one of the best young actors in Hollywood and his high school age Bogart anchors the film, drawing us ever deeper into its world. Brendan's a great character; fiercely intelligent as fast with his fists as a glib one liner ('Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you.') and Gordon Levitt brings him to life in compelling fashion.

Just as good is Lukas Haas as 'The Pin', a local drug lord who has meetings in his mother's house as she serves milk and cookies. Haas has so far lacked a role that has allowed him to escape from being the kid from Witness to be an adult actor; this is that role.

There's also a strong turn from Nora Zethener as the Femme Fatale of the story and an entertaining supporting role for Matt O Leary as Brendan's friend 'Brain'.

I was already giving Brick a top grade before the final scene but that was the moment that pushed it above even Michael Haneke's Hidden to become my film of the year so far. First there's a summary which unwravels and puts together everything you've seen but that takes a back seat to the final twist, which you feel like a punch to the solar plexus.

So, in summary; any yeg who's into cinema absolutely must not heel the theatre until he's seen Brick.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Fantastic

Got this film at random knowing nothing about what it was about. I was taken by it for the opening scene till the last. truly one the best films of recent years.

Also i think it sets the record for the most amount of words spoken in two hours.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Fantastic

Got this film at random knowing nothing about what it was about. I was taken by it for the opening scene till the last. truly one the best films of recent years.

Also i think it sets the record for the most amount of words spoken in two hours.

Incomprehensible.

What a shame this film didn't have subtitles. I have no idea if the film was any good, as most of it is in whispered gobbledegook. Pretentious rubbish. I had it on full volume most of the time and still failed to hear what they were saying. Not in the same league as Donnie Darko. Don't believe the hype!

Dear god....

Diabolical attempt at film-noir played out by a bunch of brats barely out of short trousers.

Horribly misguided and nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is.

Pretentious bulls**t!!!

Avoid.

Turned it off

There was no real story or thread to the film and the characters were uninteresting. Acting nothing to write home about either. Don't waste your time.

[Highly rated reviewer]

A definite "yes".

Caught this one at the cinema and it is one of my picks of 2006 so far.

Think Raymond Chandler/Dashiel Hammett 30s-40s private eye movies brought up to date, with a teenage "hero" and located in a High school and you won't go far wrong.

However, anyone that wants to see something sharp, beautifully flowing, and so different from the average fodder we are fed, should give this a go.

A true original

This stunning, hugely original film deserves to take its place alongside modern cult classics such as The Usual Suspects, The Big Lebowski and Donnie Darko. It can basically be described as ‘film noir set in a high school’, but there is a lot more to it than that.

Firstly, there is the wonderful dialogue, reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange. For example, a gun becomes a ‘gat’, a stoner is a ‘reef worm’, ‘duck soup’ is an easy target, and a private detective becomes a ‘shamus’.

Secondly, it has a unique atmosphere, which is achieved mainly through various contradictions: I thought at first that it was set in the 80s when one of the characters plays with a Rubik’s Cube, but then they all have mobile phones. The kids don’t watch TV or play computer games, and there is a refreshing absence of lazy pop-culture references! Also, the school always seems strangely empty; the violence is very slick (real fights between kids are not this tidy); and there are only two brief and comical appearances from adults. This all gives Brick a unique (and presumably intentional) feel.

The music and cinematography, which at times bring to mind Chinatown, are great. The performance of lead actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be a revelation to those who have only seen him in sitcom Third Rock From The Sun (less surprising you have seen him in the excellent Mysterious Skin).

Brick was released in the UK in the week between the opening of Mission Impossible 3 and The Da Vinci Code, so its chances of being a hit in the cinema are slight. Your local multiplex is presumably showing Mission Impossible 3 on four screens and not bothering with this one. I hope it gets a proper audience on DVD. I suspect that those two ‘blockbusters’ will be forgotten in a few months, but that Brick will be seen as great film for years to come.

I loved Brokeback Mountain, but Brick just gets my vote for the best film of 2006 so far. I’ll be amazed if I see a better film this year.

Simply appalling

Don't bother renting this. It's sub-Dawsons Creek teen garbage masquerading as serious cinema, directed by somebody who's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. It's like watching a sixth-form film-making project.