I’ve become a little obsessed about this film after seeing the trailer, although the affect is diminishing slightly. The official website describes the film thus:
Brick, the dynamic debut feature from writer/director Rian Johnson, won the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision.
Brick, while taking its cues and its verbal style from the novels of Dashiell Hammett, also honors the rich cinematic tradition of the hard-boiled noir mystery, here wittily and bracingly immersed in fresh territory – a modern-day Southern California neighborhood and high school. There, student Brendan Frye’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) piercing intelligence spares no one. Brendan is not afraid to back up his words with actions, and knows all the angles; yet he prefers to stay an outsider, and does – until the day that his ex-girlfriend, Emily (Emilie de Ravin of Lost), reaches out to him unexpectedly and then vanishes. Brendan’s feelings for her still run deep; so much so, that he becomes consumed with finding his troubled inamorata.
To find her, Brendan enlists the aid of his only true peer, The Brain (Matt O’Leary), while keeping the assistant vice principal (Richard Roundtree) only occasionally informed of what quickly becomes a dangerous investigation. Brendan’s single-minded unearthing of students’ secrets thrusts him headlong into the colliding social orbits of rich-girl sophisticate Laura (Nora Zehetner), intimidating Tugger (Noah Fleiss), substance-abusing Dode (Noah Segan), seductive Kara (Meagan Good), jock Brad (Brian White), and – most ominously – non-student The Pin (Lukas Haas). It is only by gaining acceptance into The Pin’s closely guarded inner circle of crime and punishment that Brendan will be able to uncover hard truths about himself, Emily, and the suspects that he is getting closer to.
It’s a dark investigative thriller, or at least, that’s how the trailer paints it. You may recognise the lead, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, from TV’s Third Rock from the Sun or films like 10 Things I Hate About You. I love the idea of someone who has gone past caring what happens to them, who has broken free of the bonds that keep society in check, but for a good cause. The devil may care attitude titillates me and makes for an interesting drive to the plot I think, and Brendan seems to kick over a lot of bizarre rocks. Interesting characters abound. At the end of the day it’s about a guy who’ll do anything to find/save the girl he loves, which is old school romance, and I like a bit o’ romance.
Check out the trailer on Apple here.
No comments yet.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
