Brick

Nathan Johnson - Emily's Theme

Brick was a tricky film for me. I remember seeing the trailer and thinking 'this is going to kick ass'. I duly tracked it down on DVD after missing the cinema release and found myself turning the film off and feeling hugely disappointed by it. I felt like I had just watched 'Buggsy Malone Does Film Noir'.

I am a noir fan, film noir I should say, I haven't read too many Hammett or Chandler novels, rather I have read revisionist noir novels, especially those by James Ellroy. I enjoy the constructed elements of a classic noir: the femme fatale, the virginal good girl, the errant psychopath, the mystery Mr. Big (The 'Pin in Brick), the man in power (a DA, a detective, a politician but cleverly in Brick's case, the assistant high school principle played by Louis Gossett Jnr.) and the labyrinth case that unfurls into a deeper mystery once the surface is scratched.

After my initial viewing I came away massively disappointed by the film. I felt the elements of the film noir I most enjoyed had been too easily taken and almost literally transposed to the screen; almost as if this was the neon, American Apparel version of noir, bright & obvious.

Two years later I was feeling taunted by this film. Like there was something there that some of my friends had seen and I had been blinded to by looking for a 'straight' film noir. So I did watch it again and my initial feelings towards the film didn't disappear but they weren't as extreme as the first time I watched it. I feel a third viewing is in need because when chatting to a friend I began to espouse certain virtues from the film and since it is still gnawing at me I think that certainly warrants further investigation.

Soundtrack by Rian's brother, Nathan and the Cinematic Underground is excellent though.

For a better dissection of Brick, check out this artilce at the Onion AV Club