Brick (2005)

I remember I was at Auckland International College when this movie first came out in Academy cinemas under the library, and I remember that without knowing anything about the film I as intrigued by the poster. I can’t find the exact one I saw in English now, but the general gist was this:

Within the month that it played (maybe less, I didn’t follow films closely then) a few of my friends saw it and told me that it was a film I couldn’t miss. So, I did the only thing that I could once the film had played out in theaters: I got my friend to download it for me.

Now, I have a strange taste in films. I flit like a butterfly on acid between mainstream and underground indie. And I knew form the moment that this film started that it would not be a film that my entire friend list would enjoy.

Forgetting for a moment that it has violence, bad language and rather in-your-face drug references, it also has dialogue that is delivered so quickly that sometimes I had to rewind and watch it again to get it. The cutting style is choppy and definitely not for certain people and the soundtrack isn’t continuous, unlike many films nowadays (and, well, at the time as well). No wonder this film did so well at Sundance. And no wonder I loved it.

First up, the story. The general idea, without giving much away, is that a girl is killed in strange circumstances, and her ex boyfriend makes it his goal to find out who put her into the situation and who killed her. From that general overview alone I wasn’t keen to see the film. Right there you already have the tearful moping of teenage heartbreak, the youth drug cartel and soppy get-togethers with the “other girl” at the end of the movie.

The good news is that there was very little moping. Most of the screen time the main character, Brendan (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), spent solving the mystery of his ex girlfriend’s death in the most amazingly complex way possible, yet it never became over the top. Everything that wasn’t explained was implied: past connections to many groups, certain people he had known, people he had worked with and his own previous history in the drug dealing world before he got out of it. He is the ultimate loner with all the right connections. There was teenage heartbreak, but it wasn’t overdone either. Brendan loved Emily. And he loved her so deeply that he was willing to go anywhere and to any lengths to solve her murder. The love was felt, it was pure and it was beautiful.

The youth drug cartel is pretty much the setting of this entire story. Yet you don’t have desperate junkies running around willing to sell life and soul for a hit. You have a carefully organized hierarchy (where it is actually very hard to get an audience with the main Kingpin, as it were; it’s not a bloody cakewalk like in some films) and a well-oiled machine of underlings and small-time dealers. The drugs are the focus of the film while at the same time not. The story revolves around a “bad brick” of drugs, yet you never see anyone use. It’s good in the way that it’s the backbone of the story and feels no need to suddenly become the skin.

Now, about the soppy get-togethers. There is “another girl”, she is more than a little interested, but there is not tearful get together at the end. He doesn’t love her, he barely sees her, and the movie doesn’t cheapen itself by trying for a happy ending. There isn’t one. A tragedy happens, a murder is solved and life goes on. Sundance, remember? Not Hollywood.

To back up the strong plot you have stunning acting and brilliant dialogue. The main cast are perfect for their roles. JGL plays Brendan Fry beautifully as a sarcastic, quiet loner who just wants justice for the woman he never stopped loving. He’s quick. The rules of the drug ring are as close and normal to him as the rules of schoolyard hierarchy, and although he never shows his emotions he is in agony over what happened. Nora Zehetner does a wonderful job as Laura, who is high enough in the drug ring to almost call herself the Pin’s right-hand man if she so chose, and who loves Brendan desperately but not pathetically. She’s a user, she’s a player and she is mean. But she plays everything so well that you don’t notice until the very end just how far her claws did reach. Lukas Haas is brilliant as The Pin, who isn’t as heartless and money-hungry as everyone thinks he is and Matt O’Leary probably takes second place only to Brendan in this movie as the best character. Brain is the ultimate sidekick and yet he is his own person. He has worked with Brendan before (it is implied that he was with him around Brendan’s own drug dealing career) and does so out of friendship and loyalty, not fear or want of attention.

The dialogue is gold. No other word for it. It is one of the most quotable movies I have seen and I adore it beyond belief. I could go into details and bring about my favourite examples but I’ll let you take a look for yourself this time.

All-in-all this film is in my top ten. And yes, for those who don’t know me that well that is a very exclusive place for a movie to be. I give it an 8/10 overall and watch it semi-frequently. I highly recommend it to people who love smart dialogue and good acting. The film is cut exquisitely and perfectly to fit the feel. No more, no less.

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