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.
He has taken this simple on the surface plot and applied the logic, dialog, and general style of the hardboiled gumshoe stories of the 1930's. The movie is played straight, there are some humorous segments, but the characters take everything deadly serious. Some films would collapse under the weight of thi undertaking, but Johnson is admirable keeps everything focused on the story, every scene, every word, every movement, all adding to the slowly unfolding of the tapestry, revealing more and more as it goes on.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.
The gumshoe of the piece is Brendan Frye, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Mysterious Skin), he aims to shake things up, see what comes loose in his quest. He becomes embroiled in the local drug trade. We find that Brendan excels at stirring up trouble and gathering information, he also shows that he comes in first in the ability to take a beating. He partners up with a fellow student, known only as Brain (Matt O'Leary), who stays in the background, gathering covert information and filling the role of backup. Brendan has to deal the femme fatale, Kara (Meagan Good, who pulls some of the needed strings. He moves up the line to the Pin (Lukas Haas), the man in charge of the crime ring, who takes the time to be served milk and cookies by his mother. There is also the hired muscle, in the person of Tugger (Noah Fleiss).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.
I know a lot of you are probably scratching your heads thinking something along the lines of "What's the big deal? Those movies are already on DVD." Then there are those of you who are jumping up and down for joy at this momentous announcement.
The original Star Wars was groundbreaking, forever changing the face of film. Lucas essentially ushered in a new era of films and the idea of the blockbuster. Steven Spielberg is credited with starting the summer blockbuster model with Jaws, but it was George Lucas who cemented it. No one had ever created effects like this. I was transported to this place "A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away." The movie, besides changing the face of Hollywood, it also influenced an entire generation of movie fans. To some it inspired a lifelong love affair with the moving image, others were inspired to enter the business with some even working for Lucasfilm or one of its affiliates. Whatever the case may be, the film has made an indelible make on pop culture, on the industry, all the way down to the individual.
I have a lot of faith in Bryan Singer. He burst on the scene back in 1995 with the fantastic Usual Suspects. That was followed up with the less stellar, but still very good, Apt Pupil. From there, his attention was turned to the world of comic book adaptations when he was signed to direct X-Men. It was a slightly controversial choice. He had proven himself with characters, but this would be his first foray into action, and with a group of characters that he was unfamiliar with. We all know how that turned out. X-men may not have been an action packed extravaganza, but he did hit all the right notes. There was some action, and a nice balance between the characters, giving us the origin wrapped in a forward moving story. That success led him directly into the sequel, X2. That film gave us more action and an intriguing story, and currently satnds as one of the best comic adaptations yet. Then something happened, while getting ready for the third X film, Singer was lured away from Fox by Warner Brothers with the promise of bringing the big blue boy scout back to the big screen. That left Fox in the lurch, they would go through a few replacements before finding one that would stick, but that's another story.
This is the first big screen outing for the comic icon since 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which was, shall we say, less than stellar. To say it has been eagerly anticipated is an understatement. With the proliferation of comic book films over the past few years, it was just a matter of time until Superman was resurrected. This trailer gives us the first taste of what the new film will be, and I think it looks rather promising.
This incarnation stars the virtual unknown Brandon Routh as Superman/Clark Kent, and he is a dead ringer for Reeve, it is a little eerie. The supporting cast includes Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, who is now a mother, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, and Frank Langella as Perry White. The cast looks pretty good, although Bosworth looks a tad to the young side. Other actors considered for the roles reads like a who's who of Hollywood!
There are some absolutely gorgeous moments captured here. The crowd staring up into the sky as Superman flies overhead, Superman flying high above the Earth, Lex's bald head, Superman and Lois atop a building, they are all great moments. There is also the scene of bullets bouncing off of Superman's chest, yes a scene from the comics and cartoons dating all the way back to the early days, but it is such an iconic image, it looks great here. There is very little Clark dialog, which may or may not be a bad sign, lack of faith in Routh? Perhaps, they were just holding it back. Spacey looks to be an excellent Luthor, channeling Gene Hackman, with perhaps a touch of Mike Myers?
