spencer
Well-known member
This movie came out on limited release, and I took it upon myself to watch it, making a ten o clock showing at a place I had never been before. What I knew came from the trailer, some synopses, and the constant statement about it being contemporary high school noir.
Let me first say, that I have yet to see what you all call film noir. I have not seen Asphalt Jungle, the Maltese Falcon, or any of the other ones. Luckily, however, they are all lying within my house because my father likes to turn me and my brother on to good movies.
That said, I feared that a lot of this movie would be lost on my uneducated self. Such was not the case.
It is, in short, a really cool detective story with an interesting twist (gimmick) that totally works. The lingo, the mannerisms, and the weird/sultry characters are very similar to what i've seen in noir parodies or clips from old noir films (which i still haven't seen very well, but I mean, i'm not totally stupid. I know who humphrey Bogart is).
i also think the cinematography/lighting is top notch. Some of the camera movements weren't too smooth (as you would see in a top budget hollywood pic), but the camera moved in interesting ways and some shots were way better looking than that of the highest budget films.
Not to mention, the performances are exceptional too. As mentioned before, I haven't seen much noir, but the clips i've seen for some reason or another play out much like the characters in brick spoke. They were hard, quick, and mysterious at times. Joseph Gordon Levitt was really cool as the main, and Lukas Haas (who I hadn't seen in a movie since Mars Attacks) was an incredibly interesting character. It was such a refreshing change to present times when dialogue takes a back seat to bad jokes or bad action.
the theater i work at is currently showing scary movie 4 on three screens, the wild on 2, ice age on 2, and has movies like Phat Girlz, Benchwarmers, and she's the man filling in the cracks. Granted we have a couple of good ones, but having to have that much crap surround me, it really makes me grateful to see a movie like this. It was a throwback, sure, but it was really cool seeing old time movie making translated into contemporary landscapes and still being visually breathtaking.
If it's in your area, I definately recommend you see it. It has made me want to go and watch the noir collection in my household, and if those flicks are anywhere near Brick (they're probably better), i'm going to be a very content kid for some time.
Let me first say, that I have yet to see what you all call film noir. I have not seen Asphalt Jungle, the Maltese Falcon, or any of the other ones. Luckily, however, they are all lying within my house because my father likes to turn me and my brother on to good movies.
That said, I feared that a lot of this movie would be lost on my uneducated self. Such was not the case.
It is, in short, a really cool detective story with an interesting twist (gimmick) that totally works. The lingo, the mannerisms, and the weird/sultry characters are very similar to what i've seen in noir parodies or clips from old noir films (which i still haven't seen very well, but I mean, i'm not totally stupid. I know who humphrey Bogart is).
i also think the cinematography/lighting is top notch. Some of the camera movements weren't too smooth (as you would see in a top budget hollywood pic), but the camera moved in interesting ways and some shots were way better looking than that of the highest budget films.
Not to mention, the performances are exceptional too. As mentioned before, I haven't seen much noir, but the clips i've seen for some reason or another play out much like the characters in brick spoke. They were hard, quick, and mysterious at times. Joseph Gordon Levitt was really cool as the main, and Lukas Haas (who I hadn't seen in a movie since Mars Attacks) was an incredibly interesting character. It was such a refreshing change to present times when dialogue takes a back seat to bad jokes or bad action.
the theater i work at is currently showing scary movie 4 on three screens, the wild on 2, ice age on 2, and has movies like Phat Girlz, Benchwarmers, and she's the man filling in the cracks. Granted we have a couple of good ones, but having to have that much crap surround me, it really makes me grateful to see a movie like this. It was a throwback, sure, but it was really cool seeing old time movie making translated into contemporary landscapes and still being visually breathtaking.
If it's in your area, I definately recommend you see it. It has made me want to go and watch the noir collection in my household, and if those flicks are anywhere near Brick (they're probably better), i'm going to be a very content kid for some time.
