Well this was one of the movies I was really looking forward to see this year, not only because the whole concept of the film sounded exciting(for instance, on the DVD-box it said that it was the smartest indie flick since Donnie Darko!),but also because it came highly recommended by my brother, whom I consider(AND STILL DO)someone who truly knows what he is talking about...

And I also consider myself one of the more experienced,open-minded movie-lovers...

But this film? Come on... I thought it was extremely boring, confusing, and full of really badly articulated and impossibly hard to understand(not only because of the language that was used, but mainly because they did not speak but mumble throughout),right from the start.

I wanted to give the film a chance though, convinced the genius aspect that I had missed so far, was still coming up, and that right then and there I would fully understand the greatness of the film.

Only that didn't happen...

I found myself not caring what happened to any of the characters in the movie, and it touched me in no way whatsoever...

Why?Why?Why? Why do people love this movie? What have I missed? You now I am typing these questions, but don't answer them,please. I really don't care...

Just a little advice...Don't waste your time on this piece of you know what...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, late of Third Rock from the Sun, is your average high school student who looks like a nerd, but is actually pretty street smart. A former girl friend has called him up seeking his help because she's gotten in over her head with the wrong crowd. She winds up dead and he's decided to track down her killer.

This is more than homage, this story is The Maltese Falcon set in a contemporary high school. The falcon in this case is a brick of badly cooked heroin that has already caused one death and a whole lot of people want to get their hands on for various reasons.

Of course it would be a whole lot better if young Mr. Levitt called in the authorities, but it involves someone he cared about and he wants to take these people down. Just like Bogart had the cops and the district attorney on his back, Levitt has his school vice principal played by Richard Roundtree, the only adult with any substantial role.

It's not a bad film, you do kind of wonder just when do the kids actually go to class and get down with the business of an education. Levitt is an appealing player and there are good performances from Noah Fleiss as (Wilmer) and Lukas Haas as (the Fat Man, not so fat here).

And the climax. Straight from The Maltese Falcon.

There's no denying that, given the nature of its non-existent budget, BRICK is an impressively-mounted movie. It feels a lot like a film noir, with one dedicated detective working his way through a mysterious plot involving shadowy criminal bosses, femme fatales, ruthless henchmen and a conspiracy of silence, with the twist that such plot elements are transposed to a high school setting for what is, in essence, a student film.

Therefore, I applaud the filmmakers for their sensibilities, for their refusal to pander to the masses by creating a more intelligent and subtle work than we might expect given the circumstances. However, there are two sides to everything, and that's the good side. The bad side is that BRICK comes across as ever-so-slightly pretentious thanks to the dialogue, which is so vain and unbelievable to be a real distraction. No effort has been made to make the words sound like they're spoken by real life people, and the incessant use of jargon is as frustrating as it is pointless. Why not just have everyone speak properly? The film is worth watching alone for the presence of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a former child actor turned Hollywood star. BRICK is the pivotal film on his CV, the transition from child to adult, and his gawky, geeky lead is a delight. He's well supported, too, and I'm surprised that both Nora Zehetner and Lukas Haas haven't gone onto bigger and better things on the strength of their effective turns here.