Oh High School days, how I miss thee. How could I forget dealing with peer pressure, acne, popularity contests, mid-term exams, and solving murders. Wait, scratch the last one. Things get pretty complex for the students of a Southern California High School in Brick. Seems a girl has been murdered, and no one is talking. So Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his brainiac sidekick (Matt O'Leary) embark on an epic quest that will involve jocks, thespians, drug dealers and cheerleaders to find out whodunnit. Brick does just about everything it can to be taken as a serious film noir, all the stereotypical characters are here. You have your Femme Fatale, your Bully/Muscle, and finally your villian. Which is "The Pin", played brilliantly by a grown-up Lukas Haas (Lady in White, Mars Attacks!).

    The High School world of Brick seems pretty normal(?) until someone opens their mouth. The dialogue in Brick is often lightning quick, and full of slang and wit. Do 12th graders really talk like this? Umm.. No. At least not when I was in High School. It almost leaves you with the impression that the students of Brick are some class of super gifted humans. They are able to cause multiple webs of deceit without too much effort. This unrealistic portrayal of High School students weakened the film for me. If you compare it to films like Donnie Darko or even The Breakfest Club, you can see where the writer looses a little credibility with his own vocabulary. What does work? Just about everything else. Writer/Director, Rian Johnson knows his noir. The story weaves back and forth while we struggle to keep up, just like any good mystery novel. You may feel lost at first, but eventually the dark fog fizzles, and the whole story seems pretty standard. The film itself looks gorgeous, and the editing is quick and skillful. Acting is also handled well throughout the cast. Brick may be nothing more then what it appears to be, a film noir that takes place in High School. It's the quality of the tribute that makes it feel fresh and unique.

8.2/10.0 - Warning: Not for the brainless , Maroon 5 fans.