Review of Brick (2006) by Alison C — 17 Aug 2010

I'm not really sure what to think. Its one of those films that makes me ask myself, "Is this what it feels like to do drugs?" also, "I wonder if I would understand this better if I was on drugs?".

So Brendan is doing major detective work through the drug rings of his high school to find/solve the murder of this ex-lover. And the style is that of a contemporary noir. Its more like a noir disguised as a high school drama. but a bit of a lame disguise. The language is very much the same quick & witty style (and very slang) and I found it difficult to follow. but I didn't like it enough that I would revisit it for better understanding. At least not anytime soon. Brendan is an interesting character and I like his little quirks. I really enjoyed how the film was shot and some of the editing techniques they used. Very stylized and used for dramatic effect, tension, and a better understanding of what Brendan is going through. Like the all the jump cuts. But I thought the film could have used some subtly in that department. I liked how raw it felt but I felt it was a bit amateur. eh. at least it help me forget the trauma of The Lookout. This was weird and I don't mind wierd, but this was a bit too weird for me.