Brick (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Hard-boiled High. You know the gimmick right? OC kids do Dashell Hammett - the Maltese Falcon played out in a schoolyard. They keep the undecipherable language and the familiar yet byzantine plot but then - they throw out almost everything else you associate with the genre.… More
  Hard-boiled High. You know the gimmick right? OC kids do Dashell Hammett - the Maltese Falcon played out in a schoolyard. They keep the undecipherable language and the familiar yet byzantine plot but then - they throw out almost everything else you associate with the genre. Whatever, let's do this: OK - I liked the visuals, the music and most of the acting - it really is a very well crafted debut. At the end of the day however, it all results merely in a promising but rather slight exercise in style. The premise is simply impossible to sustain and even if it is, it wasn't.

• Stuart B

  
  Excellent Noir style movie. Well paced, well acted and a sharp script. Certainly worth a look if you prefer your films with substance over style.

• Manu G

  
  A detective story. Not bad. The mood and plot of the movie for me didn't overwhelm me or satisfy me in any way. While there was excellent acting from Joseph Gordon-Levitt everyone else pretty much sucked. I thought the ending was just bad. I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an… More
  A detective story. Not bad. The mood and plot of the movie for me didn't overwhelm me or satisfy me in any way. While there was excellent acting from Joseph Gordon-Levitt everyone else pretty much sucked. I thought the ending was just bad. I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an actor and I will continue watching his films with much expectations, hopefully in the next I won't be disappointed. Set in high school yet stylized like an old detective movie, this intriguing film follows our hero/detective character Brendan - a high school student who prefers to steer clear of the cliques and crowds and their wild shenanigans. That is until his ex girlfriend Emily is found dead in a storm drain only 2 days after receiving a frantic and confusing call from her on a payphone. Determined to find out what happened to her Brendan along with school genius "Brain" has to sift through the upper class elite of the high school students including the jocks, stoners and seductive drama students. As they do so Brendan discovers that Emily's death is linked to something darker and far more serious than they could have imagined.

• Spencer S

  
  Brick is a gimmicky film, which relies abundantly on its premise and follows through with as many pitfalls as promising plots. Brick tries hard on so many levels to make the character of Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) into a serious hard boiled detective type. In the world of noir, he… More
  Brick is a gimmicky film, which relies abundantly on its premise and follows through with as many pitfalls as promising plots. Brick tries hard on so many levels to make the character of Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) into a serious hard boiled detective type. In the world of noir, he is our Marlowe, our Dalmas if you will, but there is something so nonplussed when it comes to his tragedy, that much of the film suffers from it. Every character is well placed and fleshed out, but their acting force is overshadowed by the explosive concept. That concept is a high school setting playing out the same kinds of noir storylines with a different kind of protagonist. Much of this is limited by that, but the movie itself was brilliant in so many ways. The language that these kids use is almost undecipherable, as it's fast and direct. Our main character is brusque, thoughtful, but clichà (C)d and ruthless as well. He speaks with his confidantes and the suspects surrounding the investigation in such a hard nosed manner that much of the film loses its believability. Much more unbelievable is the fact that none of these supposed high school students misunderstand anything he says. No character lacks intelligence, is subdued by the thickness of this plot, and there isn't even a distinction between the characters as a whole. The popular kids being popular is mentioned considerably, but there aren't any other factions, and I still can't understand how Brendan is so irresistible and sustainable though he looks, sounds, and acts like an outcast. Besides that, it was a noir with body and emphasis on the crude, which we never see. Usually noirs are classy and don't cater to that branch of bloody thriller. Though Brick crosses that line of formality with fistfights, drive-bys, and considerable gunplay, it's never out of place or tawdry. The music was sensational, the timeline was disturbing, the supporting characters knew their place, and though there really wasn't a true femme fatale, there was sexual tension. The film even makes fun of itself by pointing out that even the most hard edged and villainous character is still a kid who lives with his mother, and that wit and sophistication isn't always brought in noirs, or a firm comedic relief. Though it was only one scene it really rounded out the reality of the plot. This was a good film, though it dragged more than I would like to admit. It is worth seeing, and noting, even if just for comparison to past noir films.

• Sanjay R

  
  This is an extremely well written movie with an amazing Original Screenplay. It's tough, requiring a good amount of effort to keep up with, but completely worth it. Great acting by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, great directing, and incredible writing, all on a virtually non-existent… More
  This is an extremely well written movie with an amazing Original Screenplay. It's tough, requiring a good amount of effort to keep up with, but completely worth it. Great acting by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, great directing, and incredible writing, all on a virtually non-existent budget makes this one of the better and most impressive movies I have seen.

• Tyler C

  
  An wildly inventive take on the classic hard-boiled detective story, this time in the contemporary high school scene, Brick is an extremely underrated gem with a strong lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,but lots of props to debut writer/director Rian Johnson's slick style… More
  An wildly inventive take on the classic hard-boiled detective story, this time in the contemporary high school scene, Brick is an extremely underrated gem with a strong lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt,but lots of props to debut writer/director Rian Johnson's slick style and smart dialogue between characters.

• c0up  

  
  'Brick'. A teenage neo-noir detective flick that was possibly too quirky and clever for its own good at times.

• paul o

  
  I WISH MY HIGHSCHOOL LIFE WAS A NOIR FILM! The story is chinatown for teens, with drugs, sex, and violence spread out. Gordon-Levitt and Rian Johnson create an atmosphere that separates the film from cliche high school flicks like Mean Girls and Elephant

• Letitia L

  
  These high school kids' slick lexicon makes the movie.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Nora Zehetner, Noah Segan, Noah Fleiss, Emilie de Ravin, Meagan Good, Richard Roundtree, Matt O'Leary, Brian J. White, Lucas Babin, Ari Welkom Director: Rian Johnson Summary: When a secret crush turns up dead and the murderer is… More
  Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Nora Zehetner, Noah Segan, Noah Fleiss, Emilie de Ravin, Meagan Good, Richard Roundtree, Matt O'Leary, Brian J. White, Lucas Babin, Ari Welkom Director: Rian Johnson Summary: When a secret crush turns up dead and the murderer is anyone's guess, teenage loner Brendan Fry (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is forced to navigate his school's social network through intense interactions with thespians, band geeks and druggies (including a grown-up Lukas Haas). My Thoughts: "I must admit when I watched it, I was a little confused at the begining, but it unravels as it goes. I found it to be intriguing. Its such a different kind of film. I have never seen a movie like this before so it was a great surprise. Joesph Gordon-Levitt was really good in this movie. I have never seen him do a role like this and he was great. It was fast paced and never lost interest. I think its deffinetly a film worth seeing. Loved it..

• Chris W

  
  I know this film is several years old, but it makes me happy to see that we still have films being released once in a while that are unique and original, and not a sequel, remake, or just a rehash of the same old crap. This film is a hard-boiled detective mystery (complete with… More
  I know this film is several years old, but it makes me happy to see that we still have films being released once in a while that are unique and original, and not a sequel, remake, or just a rehash of the same old crap. This film is a hard-boiled detective mystery (complete with period slang) which is already cool, but made even cooler by the fact that it is set in contemporary times at an unnamed high school somewhere in California. Awesome. This film isn't merely just a nod to a genre though. It stands on its own and is a very compelling and really well made thriller that, if nothing else, could at least get people interested in the stuff that inspired it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is at the center of this tale about an everryman thrust into a situation that quickly sees him in over his head and on very unstable ground as he tries to piece together the truth surrounding a phone call that got him in the mess to begin with. The film has a great sense of style, look, and atmosphere. The material, which involves drugs and murder, is suitably grim, but thankfully there's some wry humor sprinkled throughout to take the edge of (slightly). The film seems a bit hard to follow at first, but that's kinda the fun of it. For those who can't keep up though, it all gets answered in the end, so there. This might be a sign that the script could have been better at clarifying things, but I prefer to see it as a way of making the viewer engage with it and think, instead of just sitting there. This is some really good stuff, and I'm glad I finally saw it. You should not hesitate to do the same.

• Liam G

  
  One of the best directorial debuts I've seen. This type of film is right up my alley, so I wasn't surprised that I loved it. Rian Johnson crafts a very complex high-school noir that features a terrific lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a script filled with… More
  One of the best directorial debuts I've seen. This type of film is right up my alley, so I wasn't surprised that I loved it. Rian Johnson crafts a very complex high-school noir that features a terrific lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a script filled with excellent dialogue and characters.

• Melvin W

  
  Pin: "I'll have my boys check your tale, and seeing how it stretches we'll either rub or hire you. You'll know which by the end of the day tomorrow." Brick is a good noir film in the high school setting. It was very cool and even felt surreal at times. I… More
  Pin: "I'll have my boys check your tale, and seeing how it stretches we'll either rub or hire you. You'll know which by the end of the day tomorrow." Brick is a good noir film in the high school setting. It was very cool and even felt surreal at times. I really enjoyed the characters. Joseph Gordon-Levitt to me is one of the best actors going right now. In Brick he gives, if not his best, really close to his best performance. The characters were just really cool and entertaining in this movie. I especially liked The Pin and The Brain, but there wasn't one that I felt was out of place or a bad addition to the movie.

• Jim H

  
  The filmmakers definitely saw Miller's Crossing. The climactic scenes of both movies even happen at the same time, 4:00 in the morning. Both films invent their own language and steal from classic noir. But whereas Miller's Crossing is about so much with a rich, poignant,… More
  The filmmakers definitely saw Miller's Crossing. The climactic scenes of both movies even happen at the same time, 4:00 in the morning. Both films invent their own language and steal from classic noir. But whereas Miller's Crossing is about so much with a rich, poignant, understated subtext, Brick doesn't have the same depth. In fact, there was something oddly off about the film. For a while, I thought that it was a satire, exposing how serious teenagers think high school drama is, but the problem with this interpretation is that the matter of the film is indeed quite serious. There are murder mysteries and poisoned drugs and corrupt school officials. It creates an unbalanced film that doesn't fully hold together. That said, JGL has officially risen in my estimation from the precocious little shit he once was to a versatile actor, capable of emotional depth and occasional sheer cool. Also to the film's benefit is the clever, though imitative, script with quick, original dialogue.

• Julie B

  
  Great performances, but when a character has to spend the last 10 minutes telling you what happened, perhaps your script could use a bit more clarity.

• A.D. V

  
  Interesting and wity modern-day take on the noir film and Gordon-Levitt once again turns out a solid performance.

• Dan S

  
  A riveting, unique mystery crime-thriller dealing with an offbeat teenager trying to find his lost girlfriend. Hardcore and violent film has not one word of profanity uttered through its entirety, and the noir, modern day setting it establishes is conquered beautifully. Both… More
  A riveting, unique mystery crime-thriller dealing with an offbeat teenager trying to find his lost girlfriend. Hardcore and violent film has not one word of profanity uttered through its entirety, and the noir, modern day setting it establishes is conquered beautifully. Both Gordon-Levitt and Haas are terrific. While it takes a while to get going, by the middle of it, you'll be hooked.

• Elvira B

  
  Brick is a stylish detective film, basically an updated film noir with its brooding heroes and femme fatales -with postmodern ailments. The story takes place in a neighborhood in California, filled with open spaces and sparsely populated, where every appearance is crucial but much is… More
  Brick is a stylish detective film, basically an updated film noir with its brooding heroes and femme fatales -with postmodern ailments. The story takes place in a neighborhood in California, filled with open spaces and sparsely populated, where every appearance is crucial but much is uncertain until the final second. Brendan lives in isolation, in a Universe of detached, fast-talking, witty, and unhealthy characters. One day, his ex-girlfriend, who'd been caught up as of late in the drug world, goes missing. Brendan's discoveries lead him to inquire upon the reasons of her demise, and he embarks on a deteriorating journey across the underbelly. He finds odd, obssessive, fascinating young people -somewhere between childhood and adulthood-, crippled in many ways by their predicaments, and with his extraordinary skills becomes their confidante and ally. Brendan is strongly driven by love and pain, and although the story sometimes goes too far in some respects as far as what is "credible" and what isn't, there is something timeless and archtypical about his character. Joseph Gordon-Levitt shows what a terrific actor he can be, taking on Brendan's complexity beyond his sharp tongue, physically <i>and</i> emotionally. Brick has a great script. Great dialogue and great story development. There is never an idle second; I don't mean in terms of what is physically happening on the screen, but that there is never a relaxed moment. Tension and <i>mystery</i> are overwhelming during the entire hour and 59 minutes. It doesn't rely on the average tricks of having someone hidden behind a door or a phone ringing with no answer; it's brilliant in that we almost never know for sure what Brendan has in mind or what awaits him at his next destination, but we are always glued to our seats, eager. The few characters of the film are all basic to the story and appear repeatedly. It has more in common with a theater piece than with a movie in that sense, but that simplicity adds to the thrill of knowing we have all the pieces, we just don't know how to solve the puzzle. All the performances are very good, and the characters are well profiled. Brendan undergoes the most development; he is really the driving force. Aside from all of these aspects, which are reason enough to watch Brick, it also boasts an original, whimsical score performed with "unorthodox" instruments, and luminous cinematography and composition. It is definitely an above-average film, made with a low budget by exceptionally talented people, and it strikes a perfect balance between old and new: what is tried and true re-made in an authentic way.

• Daniel J D

  
  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and especially Matt O'Leary really shined in this movie. Good story, rich dialogue. The Pin and Tug were a little unbelievable though, as was tand some of the production quality felt a bit amateurish, and that's what really kept it from being a 5 star… More
  Joseph Gordon-Levitt and especially Matt O'Leary really shined in this movie. Good story, rich dialogue. The Pin and Tug were a little unbelievable though, as was tand some of the production quality felt a bit amateurish, and that's what really kept it from being a 5 star film.

• Anthony L

  
  Once you get through the annoying American high-school dialogue it becomes a very interesting modern day film noir private detective movie, no doubt influenced by The Big Sleep and the works of writer, Dashiell Hammett.

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