The Bottom Line
Joseph Gordon-Levitt heads up a cast of impressive young actors in this noirish thriller. A step up from the usual high school dramas, "Brick" is a twisty whodunit with so many turns you may actually need to take notes to keep track of the characters.
Pros
- A different kind of high school/teen movie
- Great performances by the entire ensemble cast
Cons
- The convulted plot may turn off some viewers
Description
- 8 deleted and extended scenes introduced by Rian Johnson
- 'The Inside Track' - A featurette on the casting process
- Commentary by the director, actors, and more (they alternate so not all are together at once)
- DVD Release Date: August 8, 2006
Guide Review - "Brick" DVD Review
Rian Johnson makes his feature film directorial debut with "Brick," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emilie de Ravin, Meagan Good, Noah Fleiss and Matt O'Leary. Life in a Southern California high school is examined in a whole new way as writer/director Johnson puts a Dashiell Hammett twist on the teen-angst film genre.
"Brick" unfolds with Brendan (Gordon-Levitt) getting a phone call asking for help from an ex-girlfriend. Enlisting a brainy buddy to be his extra set of eyes and ears, Brendan sets out to discover what's happened to his old flame. His journey takes him into the underground world of drugs and high school thugs, with everyone spouting lines which could have been lifted straight from a classic detective film.
Channeling Bogart, Gordon-Levitt delivers a riveting performance in this stylish yarn. "Brick" may help introduce film noir to a new generation of audiences. If it doesn't, then at least first-timer Johnson should feel satisfied that he's come up with something outside the norm.
