Movie Crush Monday: CT & Brick
Okay, guys, the day has come.
The day where I cannot let another Movie Crush Monday pass without talking about Rian Johnson's work of absolute genius, Brick.
Friends who knew me in college will tell you that I talked about almost nothing except this movie. And they're pretty much accurate there. You see, when I was just a little CT, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, a friend showed me Brick and suddenly it all became clear: THIS. This kind of storytelling. I want to do that. This was also one of the first feature scripts I read and studied.
The IMDb logline for Brick is: A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. Which is true, I guess, except that it misses the entire point. Brick is really a noir film, complete with that delicious dialogue and dames who are nothing but trouble and a detective with a chip on his shoulder. Set at a modern day high school. Which sounds like a totally crazy thing to do, except that Rian Johnson manages to do it and hit the most singular tone I've ever seen on a movie. This film is dark. Really dark. Except for these brilliant little moments of wit and levity that lure you in until you're completely obsessed.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is our hero detective, and it's a really beautiful performance. He manages to balance teen angst with a much deeper hurt. He's tough without ever coming off as macho, and it's easy to follow his investigation with almost zero hand-holding. His gestures, his postures, all work to build a character without any unnecessary exposition.
This is a film full of amazing performances, but the real star of the show here is the script. I said before that it's delicious and I've tried and tried to find another word that describes it but nothing even comes close. Honestly, there are lines in this movie that are just so. dang. satisfying to say out loud. As a writer, it's a script that makes me full of longing (that I could write such amazing dialogue) and cheer out loud (at the genius) at the same time.
Also, as a little nod to my Little C (who knows movie sound in a way I will probably never really understand), I have got to give props to the soundtrack and score. Sound is used SO specifically in this movie, and so well. Rian Johnson's cousin, Nathan Johnson created the score and like everything else here it's completely unique. And wonderful.
I have to be honest, I've been a little nervous about writing this post. This is a movie that is so near and dear to my heart, and so important to who I am as an artist, that it makes it difficult to write about. But I guess what I really should be saying here is go see Brick. Rent it. Buy it. If you are an LA friend come borrow it from me (and then bring it immediately back in pristine condition). It's that good.
Until next time!
CT
The day where I cannot let another Movie Crush Monday pass without talking about Rian Johnson's work of absolute genius, Brick.
Friends who knew me in college will tell you that I talked about almost nothing except this movie. And they're pretty much accurate there. You see, when I was just a little CT, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, a friend showed me Brick and suddenly it all became clear: THIS. This kind of storytelling. I want to do that. This was also one of the first feature scripts I read and studied.
The IMDb logline for Brick is: A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. Which is true, I guess, except that it misses the entire point. Brick is really a noir film, complete with that delicious dialogue and dames who are nothing but trouble and a detective with a chip on his shoulder. Set at a modern day high school. Which sounds like a totally crazy thing to do, except that Rian Johnson manages to do it and hit the most singular tone I've ever seen on a movie. This film is dark. Really dark. Except for these brilliant little moments of wit and levity that lure you in until you're completely obsessed.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is our hero detective, and it's a really beautiful performance. He manages to balance teen angst with a much deeper hurt. He's tough without ever coming off as macho, and it's easy to follow his investigation with almost zero hand-holding. His gestures, his postures, all work to build a character without any unnecessary exposition.
This is a film full of amazing performances, but the real star of the show here is the script. I said before that it's delicious and I've tried and tried to find another word that describes it but nothing even comes close. Honestly, there are lines in this movie that are just so. dang. satisfying to say out loud. As a writer, it's a script that makes me full of longing (that I could write such amazing dialogue) and cheer out loud (at the genius) at the same time.
Also, as a little nod to my Little C (who knows movie sound in a way I will probably never really understand), I have got to give props to the soundtrack and score. Sound is used SO specifically in this movie, and so well. Rian Johnson's cousin, Nathan Johnson created the score and like everything else here it's completely unique. And wonderful.
I have to be honest, I've been a little nervous about writing this post. This is a movie that is so near and dear to my heart, and so important to who I am as an artist, that it makes it difficult to write about. But I guess what I really should be saying here is go see Brick. Rent it. Buy it. If you are an LA friend come borrow it from me (and then bring it immediately back in pristine condition). It's that good.
Until next time!
CT
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