Brick (2005)

Never have I been more impressed and more obsessed than I was with Rian Johnson’s Brick. In the often convoluted and clichéd atmosphere brought upon by its colleagues, this film stands above as a piece of extraordinarily cerebral take-notice filmmaking. Though far from a masterpiece, Brick is nevertheless a unique and gripping film noir worthy of its spot in your Netflix queue.

As many of these stories go, it begins with a dame. Emily de Ravin plays the distressed damsel, and, in this case, a dame in too deep and too out of reach for salvation. Her death is the catalyst for events and mysteries investigated in the film. Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is her former beau. An isolated Byronic hero, Frye is irrevocably fueled by love, anger and the pursuit of justice for his murdered teen-aged flame. In his quest for revenge he is aided by The Brain (Matt O’Leary) and the enigmatic Laura (Nora Zehetner).

It is by all means a star-crossed romance with the backdrop of a perpetually overcast, unnamed high school, and beneath its parentless and homeroom void atmosphere is a cruel and seedy underbelly. An underground masterminded by the elusive figure known simply as The Pin (Lukas Haas).

Joseph Gordon-Levitt embodies everything wonderful about this film. His character is rich with inner turmoil and the angst of a generation. His vengeful chivalry is just the surface of this multifaceted character. Inside, we find a wounded human personality, full of insecurity, pain and weakness. In his most outstanding work, Gordon-Levitt employs a deep and resounding connection with the audience. While none are likely to have suffered through the trauma-filled high school career he experienced, most can connect with the essential emotions of his tragedy: loss, regret and love.

While it‘s beautiful to behold, Brick is not what I’d call accessible. Beware all viewers hoping for a shallow and light-hearted film; Brick is neither. It offers very little to the audience accustomed to blockbuster fights and Bay-sized explosions. Each individual scene is meticulously integral to the plot. From origami messages to pale blue arrows in cigarettes, the details are essential. But, in truth, the majority will be turned off by its heavily stylized and speedy dialog. Its plot is layered with its own history and purpose-driven pace, leaving little time for digestion. It captures the essence of hard-boiled detective banter from classic noir films.

The culmination of love and more than a little bit of genius, Brick marks a major step forward for star Joseph Gordon-Levitt and director Rian Johnson. Casual viewers may lose patience when exposed to the rapid dialogue and stream of clues , but those who stick it out will be rewarded with a film that’s just as comfortable in the 1940s as the modern era. Brick is a mystery worth solving.