I said this was an odd visit, and I meant it. It is not weird because of anything that happens at the theater, but because of the movie itself. On the surface it is a high school drama about someone looking for the truth behind the murder of his estranged girlfriend. It is not a terribly original plot thread to follow, we have seen it, or variations of it for years. What makes this film so markedly different are the stylistic choices made by first time writer/director Rian Johnson.
The movie is also odd in that I felt absolutely no emotional connection to the characters. I have felt this way about other movies, but this time was different. Usually, when there are no connections to be had, there is little to like about the movie. Generally speaking, movies need to have some sort of emotional connection with the viewer to have any sort of impact and staying power. Somehow, this film had me enraptured for its entire running time. The combination of setting and style came together in a perfect balance, and with the pitch perfect acting to support it only further cements the film.
I loved the way the dialog rolled off their tongues. The words were so much slang, so many words with different meanings. At times, it was hard to truly know just what they were saying. The film's official site even has a partial glossary of terms used in the movie. Most of the definitions can be inferred by way of context and the events that unfold later will open up the meanings of what happened earlier.
Rian Johnson has crafted an incredible film, one that has nothing but promise on display. He has taken the conventions of film noir and placed them in a modern day high school, and made it feel so natural. But more than the dialog and the fine acting, the film is visually interesting too, credit must be paid to Steve Yedlin in this regard. The shot composition and angles chosen all add to the forward thinking originality. The rather stark setting is made a character of its own through the shot choices.
Bottomline. Brick caught me off guard. I was expecting something good, or at least potential to be. What I got was an intriguing blend of new and old. Influences from different genres, different eras, all tossed in a blender with an added dose of original vision. The blended concoction will serve as many as will have it, and seems destined to find life on the cult circuit.
Highly Recommended.
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