Movie Review: Brick

First of All: Yes, I too find it incredibly ironic that I'm doing a review on a movie that shares my first name, but hey, it was good enough to warrant it, so here goes nothing.  My aforementioned awesome nerdist friend, the one who knows everything there is to know about awesome stuff, was having a Film Noir-themed movie night a few days ago, and this movie was first up on the list.

To those who don't know what that is, let me give you a brief introduction.  Noir is a genre of literature, art, and film (in movies, referred to specifically as Film Noir) that has its own array of tropes and defining features.  Works in this genre are almost always dark, gritty detective stories that boast a jaded, dogged private investigator who--more often than not--has lost someone important to them in the past, which could be through either death or separation.  These detectives usually wear suits and ties, and occasionally have long coats, fedoras and a cigarette in their mouth.  Also prominent in these kinds of stories is a femme fatale: a woman who is as mysterious as she is beautiful, who is usually tied up in whatever crime the P.I. is investigating.  It also usually features mob connections, dark alleyways, and rainy streets.  Noted stories in this genre include The Maltese Falcon and anything with Dick Tracy involved.

Second of All: The movie!
Brick, released in 2005, is a Film Noir that has been creatively adapted to a modern era by setting it in a high school, where all the participants are students and the cops are the Principal and Vice Principal.

The story follows Brendan in the role of detective, who gets a call from his ex-girlfriend Emily.  She sounds panicked as she talks about a mistake she made, and mentions something called "the bad brick".  Kicking off an investigation to help her, Brendan is plunged into the darker side of his school, uncovering more and more pieces of a lethal puzzle with danger around every turn.

Third of All: The review!
Brick is a fantastic movie.  It did a brilliant job of adapting Noir elements to the setting, as well as setting up a gripping detective story.  The actors, despite their youth, did a fantastic job, and the characters themselves felt very real with all of their strengths and flaws.

There was a small amount of strong language, though it only appeared in a couple of places; also, since it is a Noir film, there is some violence and reference to other subject material that might not sit well with more conservative audiences, and which is definitely not for kids.

Overall, I thought it was a remarkably well done movie, and if it weren't for some of the content, I would give it a much better score.  As it stands, I give it a Five out of Six Nerd Stars.