Brick

"Do you trust me now?"
"Less than when I didn't trust you before."

A few days after receiving a desperate and confusing phone call from his ex-girlfriend, Emily (De Ravin), teen loner Brendan (Gordon-Levitt) discovers her dead body.

Heartbroken, he vows to find why she was killed.  He starts by enlisting the help of an old friend, The Brain (O'Leary), to be his eyes and ears on the outside.  Then he uses old connections and knowledge to attempt to infiltrate the seedy drug underbelly of his high school.  To keep the school authorities out of the way, he agrees to work undercover for the Vice Principal (Richard Roundtree).  Meanwhile, Brendan starts to make an impression and claim a few scars at the hands of the local drug lords: The Pin (Haas) and his muscle, Tug (Fleiss),

"You got Tug to bring you in here, which he never does. And you got me listening. So, I'm very curious what you have to say, and it better be really, really good."

... and finds an unexpected ally in popular beauty, Laura (Zehetner).  Who will crack under pressure and confess?

A noir film (think the black and white crime  flicks of the 1930's, like "The Maltese Falcon") set in a modern day high school... it could only be awesome or an epic fail.  Thankfully it falls into the first category.

I fell in love with this film when I first saw it at the cinema, and with each subsequent viewing.  The story moves at a brisk pace, and it helps to understand the lingo (they use noir terminology heavily)... although it can become easier to understand the more times you watch.  Every aspect of the plot is connected and you need to pay attention.  They are like falling dominoes, each event directly affects everything that follows.  It is awesome, and I find new things with each viewing.

Another note worthy aspect of the film is the music.  The music was composed by Director Rian Johnson's cousin, Nathan Johnson, and the Cinematic Underground.  Interesting fact: they (Nathan and the Cinematic Underground) came to my college the month the film debuted.  They talked about the music in the film and even showed us clips... which was pretty awesome!  Each of the main characters has a sound (like "Peter and the Wolf") or melody, and they overlap in interesting ways.  It is hard to describe, but once you notice it, it is easier to pick out themes.

The only downside to the film is the effects... but there are only a few, and they aren't the main focus of the film.  The story, cast, and music more than make up for it.  I look forward to future films by Rian Johnson!!

Brick (2005) 110 minutes
Rating: R for violent and drug content
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Brendan
Nora Zehetner as Laura
Lukas Haas as The Pin
Noah Fleiss as Tugger
Matt O'Leary as The Brain
Noah Segan as Dode
Megan Good as Kara
Emile De Ravin as Emily