While a touch (maybe 5-10 minutes) overlong, its clever dialogue requires absolute attention and shows how well versed in the language of noir the screenwriter is. (Terms like "yegs" and "sap" are rarely used these days but offer a direct and crtitical link to Hammett and Chandler).

It's also quite humorous, mixing David Lynch, "River's Edge", "Heathers", and any high-noir reference you care to make quite freely. And Lukas Haas' turn as an oddball kingpin is reminiscent of William Hurt's spin on the same in "A History of Violence" in that they are both highly stylized.

However, because the dialogue is so utterly complicated, discerning all the plot elements and making eventual sense of the film would probably have to be done over a period of time. The film lends itself to multiple viewings, and some people might not like that.

Saw this at the Mill Valley Film Festival. It's essentially a film noir set in present-day San Clemente High School, reminiscent of "The Big Sleep," but with drug-dealing added to the mix of double-crossing. The characters may be teenagers, but the dialog channels Chandler and Hammett, and my only real complaint with the film is that Joseph Gordon-Leavitt (in an otherwise wonderful performance) sometimes mumbles; this is dialog you don't want to miss. Lukas Haas is wonderfully eccentric in what is essentially the Sidney Greenstreet role, Noah Fleiss as the dumb thug, and Nora Zehetner even LOOKs like Mary Astor. As with all the great American noir films, there are many sardonic laughs inserted into the dark story.

'A blast from the past' can best be attributed to Rian Johnson's "Brick" for it is set in present day California but heavily coated in a neo-noir atmosphere. It features postmodern, esoteric lingo that sounds like it belongs in 1930's hard-boiled crime stories. It invests the film is a decadent noir feel and a great literary flow throughout the dialogue. It becomes apparent that Johnson has done something exceptional here; he has created a modern world filled with lonely detectives, drug-lords, wiseguys and femme fatales.

And yet, the experience is frightfully listless. All style and no substance. Joseph Gordon Lewitt well inhabits the role of loner detective Brendan, whom, upon suspecting foul-play, sets out to investigate the death of his ex-girlfriend Em and gets absorbed in the underbelly of society but – as is the style of noir – he feels distant and is difficult to identify with. The same can be applied to the other characters who all lack that vital emotional transparency about them – instead they are largely uninteresting, flat and stereotypical persons that exist for the role purpose of propelling the plot. What's worse is that everything feels unforgivably staged and fake. Taking modern high school kids and plugging in metaphorical, mysterious noir jargon in their everyday life has bad idea written all over it and it becomes a hassle to weed through their dialogue especially when it snaps and crackles like kindling in a fireplace.

But a lot of thought has been put into Brick and, in truth, I would feel bad to criticize it too harshly. There is an admirable symmetry in the shots; it is introspective and largely experimental. Although it lacks a satisfying revelation in the end, Johnson builds up to this point with meticulous, deft strokes. It's all in the details, in other words. The markings on a cigarette butt, close-ups of people's shoes, mysterious notes. Its goldmine is not in the details however, but in its femme fatale played by Nora Zehetner. Although she is largely unexplored and flat, she carries herself in a decadent, alluring way that at least gives the illusion of a dimensional character and something beneath the surface. In one scene she is wearing a red Chinese dress and talks to Brendan in rich sexy voice while the lounge music sings in the background. This scene is a perfect melting of noir, so well done Johnson.

Aside from a vibrant chase scene and a parking lot brawl, nothing particularly jumps out and grabs you in Brick. It's high school kids playing grown-ups playing noir characters and it is endlessly tiring and plays on slowly for far longer than it should. A little more substance and a little less style next time, please.

5 out of 10