Brick

(c) Focus Features

I missed this at the cinema, probably because it got a limited release but picked it up on DVD as it sounded intriguing.

Intriguing is probably a good word to describe it. Noir-ish in feel and texture, it features Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Third Rock From The Sun) as a loner who investigates the circumstances surrounding his ex-girlfriend's disappearance, with help from The Brain. Feeling a little like a The Big Sleep but set on campus, he tracks down clues and infilrates the cliques and crime-rings that operate on and around his High School campus.

The cinematography and subtle soundtrack help add to the Noir feel - there's some nice use of contrasting light and shadow, and some scenes are deliberately shot from dutched angles to isolate the viewer, and in turn the protagonist, from the bigger picture.

Unfortunately, the unusual slang used by a lot of the characters is difficult to follow and the dialogue is often buried deep in the mix - a complaint I've noted from people who saw this at the cinema so it's not simply that I have a rather crappy centre speaker (not helped by my R2 release not having subtitles and defaulting to the 2.0 soundtrack not the 5.1). I don't normally have a problem with slang as it's usually nuanced, in context and delivered in a familiar rhythm that I can pick up and usually have a good idea what the characters are saying - A Clockwork Orange is a great example - Anthony Burgess' mixture of latin and soviet slang he wrote for the droogs seems to instantly make sense when read or indeed viewed in Kubrick's searing movie adaptation.

However, part of my befuddledment is probably due to the effect most noirs have on me -they almost always reveal more of themselves on a second viewing and are more enjoyable as you start spotting clues or red-herrings.

So I can't say whether I loved this or not but it certainly gripped me and should have rewatch value too. Definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of noir or to enjoy Gordon-Levit's excellent portrayal.