Brick
United States
2005
110 Min
Color
1.85:1
English
Synopsis
In a modern-day Southern California neighborhood and high school, student Brendan Frye’s piercing intelligence spares no one. He’s not afraid to back up his words with actions, and knows all the angles; yet he prefers to stay an outsider, and does – until the day that his ex-girlfriend, Emily, reaches out to him unexpectedly and then vanishes. His feelings for her still run deep; so much so, that he becomes consumed with finding his troubled inamorata. To find her, he enlists the aid of his only true peer, the Brain, while keeping the assistant vice principal only occasionally informed of what quickly becomes a dangerous investigation. Brendan’s single-minded unearthing of students’ secrets thrusts him headlong into the colliding social orbits of rich-girl sophisticate Laura, intimidating Tugger, substance-abusing Dode, seductive Kara, jock Brad and – most ominously – non-student the Pin. Only by gaining acceptance into the Pin’s closely guarded inner circle of crime and punishment that Brendan will be able to uncover hard truths about himself, Emily and the suspects that he is getting closer to. —IMDb
Director
Rian Johnson
Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American writer and director, who won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival with his debut feature, Brick.
Johnson was born in Maryland. He was raised in San Clemente, California, and attended the high school where Brick was predominantly filmed. He then attended the University of Southern California and graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1996.
In addition to his film work, Johnson is also a folk singer and banjoist. Some of his songs can be found on his website.
His brother is well-known music producer Aaron Johnson. His cousin, Nathan Johnson, composed the score for Brick and The Brothers Bloom. Rian and Nathan make up a folk duo called The Preserves. Other cousins, including Zachary and Marke Johnson, have been involved in design and illustration work relating to Rian’s films. —wikipedia
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Zachary George Najarian-Najafi
1May12
Do high school students actually talk like Dashiel Hammet characters? Where are the parents? Brick is a strange film, a 1940s film noir transplanted to a modern day California high school. There are plenty of inspired and creative cinematic moments, but the film left me a bit empty and wanting to watch a real film noir instead.
Valerie Chiang likes this
Zachary George Najarian-Najafi
1May12
Director Rian Johnson asks us to take his film seriously, and it doesn’t quite work. The film needed to be more tongue in cheek, because there are moments where it’s very difficult to suspend one’s disbelief. The introduction to The Pin, though, is genius.
DT likes this
FCC 86
18Apr12
''Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you"
Graeme Higginson likes this
Andre Rehal
17Jan12
When I saw it in theatres I had no idea what it was about. My friend said it was an indie film so I expected some quirky drama but got this super cool movie instead.
Graeme Higginson likes this
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Articles
Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
CANFIELD REVIEWS RIAN JOHNSON'S BRICK
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
An interview with Rian Johnson, director of Brick is a good thing. A faulty recording mechanism is not. Combine the two and add a pinch of “idiot who didn’t check his equipment prior to the interview”
CANFIELD REVIEWS RIAN JOHNSON'S BRICK
By Twitchfilm.net on July 16, 2010
An interview with Rian Johnson, director of Brick is a good thing. A faulty recording mechanism is not. Combine the two and add a pinch of “idiot who didn’t check his equipment prior to the interview”
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Brillianty Haunting Noir
By EastyBoy on July 1, 2010
Rian Johnson’s Brick is one of my favourite films of the 2000’s and one of my favourite films of all time. It’s kind of hard to explain exactly why this is, as from what I’ve seen this is not a film… read review
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