Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Brick Blu-ray Movie Review

An indie masterpiece that introduced the world to Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

A hard-boiled detective story inspired by classic Film Noir, Brick is one of the most playful and creative films that the genre has ever encountered. The film was a groundbreaking independent film that quickly became a cult favorite and has a reputation which has only continued to grow since the film's original theatrical release. There's just something about Brick that's undeniably powerful. The filmmaking grabs hold and never lets go.

Produced on a meager production budget of $450,000, Brick is an example of a brilliant filmmaker bursting on to the cinematic scene with the upmost confidence: writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Knives Out) was a director that refused to go ignored. Sometimes one experiences a film and immediately knows that the director of said film is going to go places: Brick is one of those films. Having seen the film when it first came out, I highly recommended it to everyone I talked to. The future successes of Johnson do not surprise me in the least. Star Wars seemed almost like destiny.

Brick revolves around a group of high-school students tossed into an underbelly of crime. The hero of the story is the impossibly cool Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Brendan receives a desperate call for help (from a pay-phone, no less) from his beautiful ex-girlfriend, Emily (Emilie de Ravin). Confused by her message, Brendan seeks out help to find Emily. Things turn deadly. Brendan is devastated when he finds the lifeless body of Emily. Determined to not let her go without justice, Brendan decides to personally investigate what happened to Emily.

As the wheels of the story turn, Brendan learns of a young drug-lord called the Pin (Lukas Haas). Attempting to join the Pin's ranks to get more information, Brendan is tossed directly into a drug infused world in which heroin is sold by the brick. Coming face-to-face with the Pin's most loyal henchman, Tug (Noah Fleiss), Brendan must survive his encounters long enough to discover who murdered Emily. The mystery of the story continues to expand while beautiful socialite Laura (Nora Zehetner) and Kara (Meagan Good) spin their own webs in the story.

Knives in, knives out.

One of the interesting things about the film is the young cast. The twenty-somethings might be playing high-school students but each actor gives their respective roles a sense of gravitas that makes the film a much more compelling experience. Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers one of his career-best performances and adds so much to the film's charm and intrigue. Nora Zehetner plays off Joseph Gordon-Levitt well and the chemistry between them is palpable. Even relative unknowns like Noah Fleiss manage to scene steal with precision. The entire cast does a terrific job and without so much dedication from these fine actors the film would have never worked.

Featuring an original score composed by Nathan Johnson (Looper, Knives Out), Brick has an impressive music backbone that is almost unbelievable (until it is heard). Nathan Johnson is the talented cousin of writer-director Rian Johnson. Even if the pair wasn't related, the collaboration makes sense. The beautiful, melodic, and hypnotizing score compositions add much to the atmosphere of the film.

Steve Yedlin (The Brothers Bloom, Looper) crafts impeccable imagery with the cinematography. Everything about the film is a visual feast. The serene blue hues throughout the entire film are undeniably surreal and the filmmaking somehow finds a new way to tell film noir stories without simply relying on black-and-white photography. The distinctive visual cues make the film a more memorable experience that isn't easy to shake.

Rian Johnson crafted a real cinematic gem with Brick. The film has a distinctive voice that doesn't necessarily resemble anything else out there. From the way the characters speak (which is highly distinctive) to the mood established in each sequence, Brick is playful and charming while also managing to be just as pitch-black as the best Film Noir. The screenplay is highly intelligent: it demands the audience to pay attention (and re-visit the film). Few films make such a remarkable impression. Brick blew my mind when I first saw it in 2005. I knew then that Johnson was a auteur. Flash-forward through time and I am proud to say Johnson has continued to make films that mystify, excite, and amuse me time and time again. Brick is a must-see cinematic experience that should not go overlooked.

Brick Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time in North America, distributor Kino Lorber presents Brick with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The Blu-ray release has received a brand new 4K restoration which was personally supervised by writer-director Rian Johnson. The transfer for the film is outstanding to behold.

Everything about Brick exudes a cool factor that makes it remarkably unique in the world of Film Noir. This is no ordinary cinematic effort. The film is a visual feast that has so many interesting directorial ideas that are on display. The cinematography showcases a essence of creativity in spades. From the radiant blue tone of the otherworldly visuals to the dark and foreboding visuals in some of the most complex scenes, Brick looks astonishing. The transfer presents the film with the best quality scan the film has ever received (and the release bests any of the foreign releases that came out – whether it be the Canadian or UK editions). Rian Johnson crafted a gem of a film and he did it justice by supervising this 4K remaster. An outstanding effort.

Brick Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two different audio options: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. While it is certainly commendable that Kino has opted to include two options for fans, I also feel anyone with a surround-sound setup should opt for that experience. The lossless audio sounds astonishingly great with excellent fidelity throughout the entire presentation. Dialogue is crisp and satisfying.

The surround-sound design is a breathtaking work of art and far more immersive than one would expect for an indie production on this scale. The surround channel speakers are active during key scenes and the ambiance of the music score is evocative to experience. While the film might not have any over-the-top sound effects, the track brilliantly utilizes all of the speakers in creative ways. I appreciated the efforts of the sound designers and the way the track helped sweep me into the visually offbeat universe. Remarkable.

Please Note: Optional English subtitles are provided.

Brick Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

It's worth noting that all of the supplemental materials previously provided on the DVD edition of the film have been ported over for the Blu-ray disc debut. None of the extras from the US edition have been lost in the transition (though there also aren't any new and extensive supplemental features).

The release includes the following:

Audio Commentary by writer/director Rian Johnson, actors Nora Zehetner and Noah Segan, producer Ram Bergman, production designer Jodie Tillen, and costume designer Michele Posch

Note:

While commenting on audio commentaries can feel somewhat meta, the efforts of Rian Johnson and company on this track were interesting to listen to. Johnson and his associated friends-in-filmmaking are zany and off-the-wall in the track but there is fun to be had in hearing the filmmakers reminiscence on the process of making Brick. Johnson is quite the character and he provides listeners with details on how several key moments came to fruition (as well as how the production took years to go from script-to-screen). A must-listen for any diehard fans of the director.

8 Deleted and Extended Scenes (SD, 22:33) are provided with commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson accompanying these sequences. Johnson explains why each scene was cut or edited down. While deleted scenes are sometimes little more than a curiosity without knowing the exact editing decisions made, that is certainly not the case on this release. The detailed commentary regarding removing these sequences gives an inside glimpse into the filmmaking process. Worth a watch.

The Inside Track: Casting the Roles of Laura and Dode (SD, 3:12) is a brief behind-the-scenes featurette containing footage from the audition tapes for these actors. It's interesting to see the development of these performances. Fascinating.

Brick Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:31)

The release also includes trailers for other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: The Ice Harvest (SD, 2:27), The Interpreter (SD, 2:26), Broken Flowers (SD, 2:06), and Thirst (HD, 00:43).

Brick Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the best independent films of the 2000's, Brick is an amazing detective-movie with the heart of a film noir and the mind of a cinematic masterpiece. The Blu-ray release has received a tremendous new 4K restoration supervised by writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper, Knives Out). Johnson is one of my favorite filmmakers for a reason: if you want to know why, all of it starts here. Fans should consider this impressive release a must own. Highly recommended.