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RE: Brick - 19/5/2006 11:55:36 PM

Shawlord

Posts: 546
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: The Sands, Las Vegas 1950's

I really enjoyed this film, certainly the best modern take on the old noir films that I have ever seen. The dialogue is a little difficult to grasp in places but it really doesn't matter because the style of the film and the strength of the characters are more than enough to pull it through with great success.

It is a good versus evil tale but with one hell of a grey area in between. Don't puzzle over the intricate details too much or strain to hear every word and you will find this a highly enjoyable and atmospheric murder mystery.

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Post #: 31

RE: Brick - 19/5/2006 11:58:08 PM

Indio

Posts: 7131
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: London

I was hugely impressed with this, some of the lingo was lost on me but the plot is such that if you pay attention you can get all of what is happening. I strongly recommend people catch this film if its showing near you.

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Post #: 32

- 21/5/2006 12:53:17 PM

petersimon

Posts: 1
Joined: 5/3/2006

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Post #: 33

- 21/5/2006 10:17:14 PM

Grandma Death

Posts: 396
Joined: 13/2/2006
From: London

Watching the convoluted and deliberatley confusing 'Brick' unfold is about as about as immersive experience as you're likely to find in a cinema. Beautifully photographed, edited and scored, Johnson's film is supremely stylish without, for the most part, a lack of substance. The fast paced, slang laced dialogue at times teeters on the edge of pompous, as do the film's noir stylings, but this can be forgiven when the performances are so strong and the central conceit so involving. The film will certainly divide people, some unable to buy into the strangely eloquent and dark teen world that Brick creates. But for those who can, Brick is a film to be treasured.

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Post #: 34

Brick....Go and see! - 21/5/2006 10:35:52 PM

Empire Admin

Posts: 26334
Joined: 29/6/2005

Brick surpassed my expectations, the idea of a noir thiller in a modern LA high school setting is a stroke of genius, in my eyes it could be paralleled with Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet......

The dialogue is hard to get to grips with, some scenes i was scratching my head wondering what was being said! But i found it became easier as the film went on.

The performances in Brick are absolutely superb, especially Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Nora Zehetner who obviously totally understood what Rian Johnson was trying to do with this film......the direction of his actors is spot on.

A rare original film that is destined to be a modern classic.....Or should be!

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Post #: 35

Brick.....Go and see! - 21/5/2006 10:42:02 PM

Deepthinkerdan

Posts: 21
Joined: 8/2/2006

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Post #: 36

Brick.....Go and see! - 21/5/2006 10:42:11 PM

Deepthinkerdan

Posts: 21
Joined: 8/2/2006

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Post #: 37

Brick.....Go and see! - 21/5/2006 10:42:22 PM

Deepthinkerdan

Posts: 21
Joined: 8/2/2006

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Post #: 38

RE: Brick.....Go and see! - 22/5/2006 4:50:52 PM

tbird

Posts: 4117
Joined: 10/10/2005
From: the cupboard under the stairs

Brick lived up to all my expectations of it and more.

The acting was spot on from all involved. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to surprise me with the variety and depth of his acting and he was totally unrecognisable from his role in Mysterious Skin. Lukas Haas was deliciously sweet yet dark as The Pin, and the biggest surprise for me was Matt O�Leary as The Brain. I�ve never seen him in anything before and he stood out as one to watch out for.

The dialogue was heavy going at first. I got a bit lost early on but it was easy to pick up after a while. It gave the film a certain dreamy quality and made it feel like it was set in another dimension. And the cinematography also helped with this mood. It seemed strangely washed out but intensely colourful at the same time. Certainly an interesting mix.

The only little irk I have with it was the end with Laura. It just seemed they threw that in to make it fit the classic Femme Fatale of the film noir, and to tie up some loose ends. Slightly annoying but I can forgive it for that.

It�s a film I am already desperate to watch again as I think you�ll get more and more from it with every viewing.

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Post #: 39

RE: Simply awful - 22/5/2006 5:43:44 PM

Jez

Posts: 90
Joined: 3/10/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Eternal__

This film was awful. I wanted SO MUCH to like it. It had a great premise, it starred Joseph Gordon Levitt, and it was by Focus Features. A recipe for success, right? But it was just...a mess. There was not one coherent line and every actor mumbled. I felt I was watching a foreign film without subtitles. It tried way too hard to be a cult indie movie - just for the sake of it. What a waste of time and money!

Brick aint awful at all. Have you seen any Paul W S Anderson films now they are awful.

You might not have liked it but it aint awful, made me laugh that did

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Post #: 40

RE: Simply awful - 22/5/2006 8:14:58 PM

The Underdog

Posts: 2
Joined: 21/5/2006

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jez

quote:

ORIGINAL: Eternal__

This film was awful. I wanted SO MUCH to like it. It had a great premise, it starred Joseph Gordon Levitt, and it was by Focus Features. A recipe for success, right? But it was just...a mess. There was not one coherent line and every actor mumbled. I felt I was watching a foreign film without subtitles. It tried way too hard to be a cult indie movie - just for the sake of it. What a waste of time and money!

Brick aint awful at all. Have you seen any Paul W S Anderson films now they are awful.

You might not have liked it but it aint awful, made me laugh that did

LOL.

I loved this film, well shot, well acted, well cut and one of the few films i will see again at the cinema. Empire told Donnie Darko to move over - this, imo, has nothing to do with Donnie Darko, but I see what it means about getting a cult following, even though Donnie Darko lovers seem odd and always try and get me into War Hammer - I'm sure this won't attract the same crowd.

Can't praise this film enough, Rian Johnson knows what he's doing and im sure good things await him.

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Post #: 41

so goood (subtitles needed... or not necessary?) - 23/5/2006 8:54:25 PM

Sara170375

Posts: 4
Joined: 23/5/2006

... happy to hear that it's not just because I am not english native speaker I could not follow the dialogue... at all! Just imagine I could understand not even half of what they were talking about and I could not get my eyes off the screen. So good! Every single shot is a joy for the eyes, and the characters, and the acting, and... what else? I agree... As original as Romeo+Juliet... In a complete different way but I guess it's a difficult movie... Either you hate or you love it!

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Post #: 42

so goood (subtitles needed... or not necessary?) - 23/5/2006 8:54:35 PM

Sara170375

Posts: 4
Joined: 23/5/2006

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Post #: 43

so goood (subtitles needed... or not necessary?) - 23/5/2006 8:54:37 PM

Sara170375

Posts: 4
Joined: 23/5/2006

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Post #: 44

- 23/5/2006 10:14:20 PM

kachna_ff

Posts: 28
Joined: 11/10/2005

A fantastic, entertaining film. Wonderfully bizzare and weird, brilliantly acted and directed. Great stuff!

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Post #: 45

A groovy little film noir - 23/5/2006 11:03:46 PM

britesparc

Posts: 1967
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Manchester

Brick is in many ways an oddity, and I'm not surprised that some people have found it obtuse or baffling. However, in other ways it's refreshingly simple and decidedly old-school, and for that it should be applauded. The world presented by writer-director Johnson is a representation of our own, but, like the 80s of Donnie Darko, one filtered through eerie symbolism and representation. As such, the dark miseries of fitting in at school come hand-in-hand with serious crime and slacker slang is replaced with a shrewd and knowing alternate language. This is a world where children have the run of the town; where 26 is considered old; where selling drugs and having brutish minders is apparently run-of-the-mill; and where bespectacled, awkward-looking loners can become Oracle-esque information gatherers. It's a fantastic world, and, like the best cinematic landscapes, it's one we just want to spend time in. However, there's more to the film than mere setting, and it's the depth of narrative and the strength of the performances – especially Gordon-Levitt, in what is hopefully a career-making role – which raises the film above “interesting curio” to “genuine treat”. For despite the trippy language and groovy characterisation, this is simply a good old-fashioned film noir, specifically echoing not just archetypes (the troubled hero, the femme fatale, the kingpin) but also specific movies, and moments from those movies; the noir fan can have great fun spotting the touchstones. That's not to say that this is a sub-Tarantino exercise in homage; rather, Johnson plays on genre tropes to craft something new, something decidedly 21st Century, and decidedly dark. For although Brick is funny, it's no comedy, and its themes of alienation and despair are echoed brilliantly in the washed-out, damp-looking California of its setting, a million miles away from the bleached beaches of Clueless and the like. It's a fantastic juxtaposition, reminiscent of the trick Joss Whedon pulled off in Serenity, of marrying two disparate genres – there, sci-fi and western; here, films noir and teen movies – and coming up with one original, thought-provoking, wonderful new whole.

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Post #: 46

- 24/5/2006 9:42:27 PM

umer_ejaz

Posts: 1265
Joined: 9/12/2005

This for me was a simply classic film which should be given non-stop praise. Joseph Gordon-Levitt puts in a brilliant performance as high-school loner Brendan. For me this is a 10/10 film.

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Post #: 47

RE: - 25/5/2006 11:34:33 PM

Jugglingeek

Posts: 302
Joined: 26/3/2006

What a strange film:

Firstly there were a number of things I absolutly loved about this film:

Setting a film noir detective story in an LA high school. Superb idea, all the characters were there, femme fetal, DA, cocky young detective, mythical drug lord. Reminded me a little of LA Confidential;

The afore mentioned chase sequence involving shoes. To tell would ruin the suprise;

The number of red herrings threw at the screen. So many that anyone would quickly work out that to understand every word of the film was not the point;

The push zoom effect, first used in Vertigo I believe to make the background perspective change, made to change the perspective between the background and the middle-ground. Very nice;

Also I loved that you didn't hear what Carla wispered to him. I'm going for "I'll let you fuck my ass if you tell everyone you did it" ;-)

The fight sequences were truly sickening;

But there were a couple of things that irritated me beyond all belief. That the film managed to sustain my interest despite these things is why it gets 4 stars:

Firstly Pick the camera up off the floor! The first thing Mr Rian Johnson should buy with the inevitable millions that this film makes should be to buy a taller tri-pod. Ok I know the characters are ment to be larger than life, can we stop viewing them from the floor yet?

Secondly stop mumbling. Prehaps I've only started to notice this after it was pointed out on Mark Kermode's radio show but I could only hear about 50% of what was said. What I did hear was some really nice witty dialogue with some nice made up slang. But I feel as though I have missed hundreds of quotable lines simply becasue the actors didn't speak up.

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Post #: 48

RE: Brick - 25/5/2006 11:44:18 PM

Posts: 3506
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: two counties east of home

I really enjoyed this. I was a bit worried about what the dialogue would be like, and to be honest in places it was hard to follow, but as mentioned before the dialogue isn't really that important overall. I mean, obviously it's important, but for the most part it's easy to follow what's being said.

I thought this was slick, smart, and y'know what - it gives more credibility to kids, which is sometimes what they deserve. To be taken seriously.

A film that was beautifully shot, well-acted, and is a classic among its genres. Although I think it might be the only one to fit into the film noir-high school-murder/mystery genre.

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Post #: 49

Great Movie - 29/5/2006 1:54:27 AM

ballsyh11

Posts: 3
Joined: 15/2/2006

I really enjoyed this little piece of storytelling wonderment. It was beautifully and lovingly shot. The script, whilst sometimes requiring a bit of translation, was believable and intriguing. I loved the plot, I loved the way it played out. The music was used to great effect, particularly when it was absent. There is one very good scene that as you watch you wonder if it should have music, and then you see why it doesn't when it ends - and that just makes it great.
Also, for a film starring young actors and dealing with the content that it does I was surprised at the absence of 'strong language'. This realy added to the film's credability as a noir-esque thriller.
I loved every minute. It is my film of the year so far.

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Post #: 50

A Joke of a Film - 13/6/2006 8:58:23 PM

Keyden

Posts: 3
Joined: 7/10/2005

I am not usually a harsh critic. I love a lot of the often slated hollywood blockbusters and more than love a fair share of indie films (Garden State, Donnie Darko, Me and You and Everyone we Know). But this . . . this was absolutely dire. Like many people have said, the dialogue is ridiculous - every character delivers every single line as though it were something profound. There is a scene when Brendon is being held up by his throat, and even then Brendon starts lecturing his attacker with some incomprehensible verbal waste. I think Rian Johnson needs an industrial sized slice of humble pie. What a self important pile of mumbling excrement this film is. By the way, Rian Johnson, it really isn't that 'cool' to make a film about violence and drugs, although i'm sure you think it is. This was not worth 3.50. It is a poor excuse for a film. I feel very angry that Empire recommended it to me.

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Post #: 51

Meh! - 20/6/2006 4:41:40 PM

LeonX42

Posts: 11
Joined: 2/10/2005

I just could'nt get into this one.

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Post #: 52

RE: Meh! - 21/6/2006 12:14:51 PM

kingp_35

Posts: 63
Joined: 13/2/2006
From: Dublin, Ireland

Briliant movie, the best I have seen so far this year. The acting was top notch from all involved as was the direction by Rian Johnson. The plot was gripping and the slang will be easy to follow after the first 5 minutes.

Highly recommended
9/10

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Post #: 53

RE: Brick - 24/6/2006 5:26:02 PM

princessa

Posts: 728
Joined: 6/6/2006

I really enjoyed this film. Nice to see a teen movie that's trying to do something different. Although i found some of the dialogue difficult to follow - thats what i enjoyed about it the most. VERY ORIGINAL.

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Post #: 54

RE: Brick - 25/6/2006 10:47:20 PM

furrybastard

Posts: 5099
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Ireland

Great film. Sticks to many of the old film noir cliches (brisk dialogue, low angles, brooding atmosphere) while also contributing something new to the mix (a lead protagonist with arguably more depth than the characters he is based on, like Sam Slade and Philip Marlowe).

Fantastically shot, directed, written and acted. It's convoluted story (familiar to anyone who has read/seen any of the stuff from the heydey of film noir/hard boiled detective fiction!) is juggled really well while also sufficiently exploring the lead character and his relationship to the world. The opening scene is particuarly striking - a perfect example of how to do everything right from the get-go. The fight scenes are all great, there is a little humour in there but most of all it's just a really well told, well made film that adds to the genre and exemplifies all its best attributes without descending into parody or imitation.

And I loved the dialogue! This guy could give Tarantino some lessons

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Post #: 55

- 16/7/2006 9:42:02 AM

sushiandrice

Posts: 606
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: The Village of the Damned.

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Post #: 56

Yah. - 16/7/2006 9:42:57 AM

sushiandrice

Posts: 606
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: The Village of the Damned.

Clearly, this is excellent and legions ahead of Donnie Darko. It's an entirely different and far more sophisticated.

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Post #: 57

RE: Yah. - 22/7/2006 4:06:26 PM

Starscream

Posts: 5222
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Cats Lair

Just seen it and Darko pisses on it from a great height. While it is beautiful shot it is also very overrated.

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Post #: 58

RE: Yah. - 22/7/2006 7:45:41 PM

Zatoichi

Posts: 2508
Joined: 30/9/2005

Saw this a few weeks ago and thought it was great. Nice mood, atmosphere, and music, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was fantastic.

Loved the scene where he was being chased, went round a corner, took off his shoes (which were creating really loud steps), ran back, and tackled the guy, who then went head-first into a pillar.

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Post #: 59

RE: Yah. - 20/9/2006 10:42:00 AM

MOTH

Posts: 3172
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Sittin' on the dock of the bay

A terrific little film, well acted and cleverly plotted.
I'd agree with much of Philconcannon's review above, but I didn't find the dialogue as off-putting as he did. It is a bit gimmicky and it's sometimes hard to catch what some characters are saying, but this has the effect of making you concentrate which pays off as the plot becomes more convoluted.
There's a splendid central performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and some moments of fine comedy amongst the noir setting.
It will no doubt appeal more to fans of Hammett, Chandler and film noir, and there will certainly be many who don't buy into the concept, but this is still worth seeking out.
In a year when sub-standard blockbusters and kids movies have clogged up the multiplexes, it is a shame that I had to wait for a film as quirky, clever and original as Brick to come to DVD to finally see it.

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Post #: 60