Brick

Summary

“I’ve got all five senses and I slept last night. That puts me six up on the lot of you.”

When I was in my sophomore year of college, I remember seeing some intriguing posters for a film being released by Focus Features called Brick. I made note of the film because at the time I was going to the movie theater every couple week to catch independent movies as they were released. Focus Features had been responsible for releasing everything from Wes Anderson films to Jim Jarmusch pictures, so although I did not know what the film was about, my interest was peaked. Unfortunately, as quickly as the film was released into the theaters, it disappeared. About half a year later I saw the film at my local Blockbuster and picked it up. Watching the film that night, I immediately realized I had seen something special. Brick was the debut film by filmmaker Rian Johnson. Johnson had worked on the script and sought investors for the project unsuccessfully for seven years before independently financing the film. The entire time that he sought financing he refined the script. Taking cues from the writing of Dashiell Hammett but setting the film within the confines of the cliques in high school, Johnson stumbled upon something new and interesting. In my estimation, this was the best noir film made in my generation. (Admittedly there was not a lot of competition, but still a great accomplishment.) I watched the film repeatedly throughout college and showed it to anyone that was willing to watch it with me. For years I was confused as to why the film had not been released on Blu-ray, because Johnson had gone on to a very successful career directing everything from the science-fiction time-loop film Looper to an entry in the Star Wars universe. Finally, Kino Lorber heard the clarion call and decided to release the film on Blu-ray. To make things more exciting, Kino undertook a new 4K transfer of the film that was approved by the director specifically for this release. After the years of waiting, Brick has received a release that is well worth the wait.

As the film begins, high school student Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon Levitt) stands next to a tunnel looking at body of a blonde girl with her hand lying in the water as it trickles by. He moves the body of the girl. The film jumps back to two days earlier. Brendan receives a note that mentions a pay phone. Inside the phone booth he receives a phone call from his panicked former girlfriend Emily Kostich (Emilie de Havilland.) She is in need of help and she says a few phrases that don’t mean anything to him – one is “tug,” another is “the pin,” and the final one is a “bad brick.” A black Ford Mustang flies by the phone booth and a cigarette is thrown out as the line goes dead. Brendan, worried about Emily, goes to the school to enlist the help of his friend Brain. He starts his investigation in the drama department where he encounters Kara (Meagan Good.) They had been in a relationship at some point. She tells Brendan to let Emily fend for herself. He finds a way to a party for the drama kids held by Laura Dannon (Nora Zehetner) and her football star boyfriend Brad Bramish (Brian J. White.) Laura tells Brendan to talk with Dode if he wants to track down Emily. The next day at school he meets with the pot smoking Dode. Dode brushes him off and lights a joint. Brendan punches him in the face. After a brief scuffle, Dode arranges a meeting with Emily and Brendan. At the meeting, Emily tells Brendan to let her go and does not fill him in on what is going on. In the exchange Brendan swipes a notepad from her that has a note inside it. The note has a symbol that is shaped like a rounded A and a time of midnight. He thinks hard that night while tossing and turning in bed until midnight slides by. In his sleep he realizes that the symbol is a drawing of a storm tunnel. The next day he finds Emily’s body and hides it. Brendan begins investigating the series of events that led to the death of his former girlfriend while navigating the various cliques in the high school, staying in the good graces of the Assistant Vice Principal Trueman (Richard Roundtree,) and tracking down the two drug dealers that may hold the key to solving the case (Lucas Haas and Noah Segan.)

I love the movie Brick. Revisiting the film the other night, it still felt as fresh and vibrant as the day the film was first released roughly fifteen years ago. I am thankful that Director/Writer Rian Johnson has continued to have a strong career which has allowed him to create some of the more satisfying and original films to come out of the studio system. His most recent film Knives Out is probably my favorite film that he has made since Brick. Like he displayed in Knives Out, Johnson has a prodigious talent for writing dialogue. The main influences for Brick were the writings of Dashiell Hammett and the film Miller’s Crossing by the Coen Brothers. The dialogue pays homage to those works and can be heard easily when characters use terms like “dangle” to tell people to leave. Miller’s Crossing ranks as one of my favorite films, I have read every Dashiell Hammett novel, and my youngest son is named after that novelist, so it should come as no surprise that I loved the writing devices employed by Rian Johnson in this film. Film noir is a genre that I feel deserves a true resurgence, but I think it may simply be that these types of plots are so intricate that many writers take on easier genres to write. Brick makes a modern day film noir that works within the confines of a high school and it does so with style and strong comedic sensibilities that never overshadow the drama at the center of the plot.

Considering the incredibly slight budget of the film ($400,000,) the film managed to cast a strong cast of young talented actors. The main role played by Joseph Gordon-Levit showcased the actor’s talent. Before Brick, he was best known for his roles in Angels in the Outfield and the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun – not exactly dramatic powerhouse roles. Brick changed his career trajectory and led to his leading roles in films including The Lookout and Snowden. Christopher Nolan took notice also and cast him as Robin in his Batman trilogy. The film also features a well crafted performance by Noah Segan as the violent Tug and a good turn by Lucas Haas as the cloak-wearing Pin. Nora Zehetner is well cast in the role of Laura. The film’s cinematography by Steve Yedlin on 35mm film still looks impressive. Yedlin has gone on to do cinematography on every single one of Johnson’s films and has proven himself time and again to have a great eye. The music by Nathan Johnson fits the film well and has shades of Morricone’s old poliziatechhi scores. 

Overall – Brick remains a great example of how an old genre can be made new again through creative writing and attention to setting. The film holds up beautifully fifteen years after its release and deserves to be discovered by anyone who missed it back then.

Video

This transfer of Brick in 1920x1080p with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 looked great to me. The Blu-ray presentation by Kino Lorber comes from a new 4K scan approved by the director and specifically commissioned for this release. Fans of the film have been wanting to see this film in a true High Definition presentation for years, and they can rest assured that for the most part this release has been well worth the wait. This is a tremendous leap in quality from the Focus Features DVD released in 2006. Fine detail for the most part is exceptional and the updated presentation really brings the film to life. The cinematography by Steve Yedlin is still evocative and well-thought. I was very happy overall with how this film looked on Blu-ray.

Audio

Brick features a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track that sounds great. Dialogue is clear and the score by Nathan Johnson has never sounded better. The film itself relies on the omnipresent score to set the mood, but it is a truly dialogue based film. There are not a lot of action sequences, but the surrounds are used well to immerse the viewer in the film. 

Supplements:

Audio Commentary by writer/director Rian Johnson, actors Nora Zehetner and Noah Segan, producer Ram Bergman, production designer Jodie Tillen, and costume designer Michele Posch

8 Deleted and Extended Scenes

The Inside Track: Casting the Roles of Laura and Dode 

Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 3.5/5

Overall – 5/5

Brick remains one of my favorite films from the 2000s. The film’s script is a perfectly written throwback to the noir writings of authors like Hammett and Chandler. I was completely blown away by the film when I was in college and I still find the film incredibly enjoyable nearly fifteen years later. The budget for the film was only $400,000 of independently raised funds which makes Brick an even more impressive accomplishment for first time writer-director Rian Johnson. Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivered a career defining performance as the relentless protagonist Brendan. Fans have been waiting years for this Blu-ray, and the new Blu-ray is worth the wait. Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray features a fantastic looking new 4K transfer approved by the director that finally replaces the DVD released in 2006 by Focus Features. If you have never seen this film, I can’t recommend it highly enough.