Brick

The Film Noir Odyssey

Writer/Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nora Zehetner, Noah Fleiss, Meagan Good, Emilie de Ravin, Lukas Haas

Cinematography: Steve Yedlin

Music: Nathan Johnson

Studio: Focus Features

Release: April 7, 2006

“Brick” is a fascinating, mostly successful, experiment in filmmaking that feels like it could have been born from the premise of a silly SNL sketch: turns out high school has life-and-death stakes in it. This merging of the high school drama with the classic noir genre could have gone wrong in a thousand ways, and it’s a credit to first-time writer/director Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”) that it only goes wrong in a couple minor ones.

Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a stand-in for our classic private detective character, recently heartbroken by his drug addict girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin). When he receives a note to go to a pay-phone, he gets a panicked call from her where she begs him for help, along with a few confusing words and phrases like “bad brick.” Soon enough, Brendan discovers Emily’s dead body outside a sewer tunnel… then hides it so he can figure out who murdered her himself. The suspects are many, and each represents a “type” from classic noir: the femme fatale Laura (Nora Zehetner), the mysterious ex-girlfriend Kara (Meagan Good), the seeming taskmaster “The Pin” (Lukas Haas), the blunt object Tugger (Noah Fleiss), and the angry Vice Principal (Richard Roundtree). After days of investigation, Brendan figures out that the bad brick was a reference to a cocaine block, but by this point his life is legitimately in danger thanks to someone close to him.

The plot is very complex, but not in a bad way. Every scene makes sense while you are watching it, and after the film is over, one of its pleasures is that you attempt to untangle each motive, double-cross and lie… only to find that Johnson did play fair all the way through. But that’s not the point and purpose of the film. It’s all about the style, and immersing the viewer in the world of a ‘40s noir… one that is set in a California high school. The smartest thing that Johnson does is that he never for a single moment allows a character to break or wink at the audience, even when members of the ensemble have to go big or melodramatic. Because of that, the viewer remains under the filmmaker’s spell for the entirety of the running time. It adds to the humor of certain scenes, like where Johnson stages Brendan being disciplined by the Vice-Principal exactly as if he was a cop yelling at a private detective. But it also adds to the intensity of certain scenes, most notably a stand-off at the edge of the sewer tunnel where guns come into play and a character dies in a terrible way.

Still, this very stylized manner does keep the viewer emotionally detached from the proceedings, watching the film rather than experiencing it. There’s one incredible scene where Brendan breaks down with grief over Emily’s death, and it’s the best in the film and the only one that guts you emotionally. I wanted more of that, even with the hardboiled dialogue. If the final scene between Emily and Brendan, where she tells him to leave her alone, had teemed with that same emotion? It would have hooked the viewer much sooner and kept them feeling for the characters all the way through. The other problem is that some of the ensemble simply can’t handle the dialogue as well as others, but more on them later.

While Johnson keeps the dialogue firmly set in the ‘40s, visually he’s much more keen to experiment. And this seems like a smart decision – if he had mimicked the style of noir visually or shot things in black-and-white, it would have been a step too far. Certain scenes and shots, like the aforementioned killing in the tunnel, give a sneak preview of how Johnson and his longtime cinematographer Steve Yedlin (“Knives Out”) would hone their talents into some of the best-looking films of the decade – look no further than “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” for proof of this. Others, like fish-angle lenses during chases and awkward impressionistic plastic bags leaping for camera, work less well.

Gordon-Levitt does an incredible job leading the film, and without his performance, the entire thing would have imploded. Some of the ensemble, like Haas and Good, hit just the right notes. But others, in particular Zehetner and Noah Segan, feel like kids mimicking adults, which breaks the spell for viewers. Both would turn into better actors as their careers progressed, but their work here doesn’t quite cut it. It’s especially a shame for Zehetner (Good would have been much better in the part), since hers is the second-most important character in the film next to Gordon-Levitt.

I like “Brick” a lot, and watching the movie for the first time in years, I was stunned at how many of the cast and crew Johnson would re-use in his subsequent films. In many ways, this was a summer stock show for most of the filmmakers – a grand production that was made with few resources and a lot of chutzpah which must have bonded them as family. It’s a pretty good high school movie, a very good noir and also the beginning of a master filmmaker taking his first steps towards greatness.

Score: ****

Angel Heart

The Film Noir Odyssey

Writer/Director: Alan Parker

Based on the novel “Falling Angel” by William Hjortsberg

Cast: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet

Cinematography: Michael Seresin

Music: Trevor Jones

Studio: Tri-Star Pictures

Release: March 6, 1987

“Angel Heart” has many good or great things in it, so it’s a real shame that its problems outweigh its pros. Here is a movie that gets so much right but, by the time you finish it, you think of it as a disappointment. What a shame.

Mickey Rourke stars as private investigator Harry Angel (I know) in 1950s New York City. He is hired by a mysterious man named Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to find a person named Johnny Favorite. There is precious little information on the man, despite having that memorable name, and every time Harry finds a good lead, that man or woman is gruesomely murdered by persons unknown, which is never a good sign. Soon, Harry finds himself travelling to New Orleans, where he tracks down Johnny’s fiancé (Charlotte Rampling) and his lover Epiphany Proudfood (Lisa Bonet). As the mystery begins to take on supernatural undertones, Harry becomes desperate to find the truth… and it would be really helpful if he realized that Cyphre’s full name is a pretty on-the-nose, obvious homophone.

The writer and director is Alan Parker (“Mississippi Burning”), who is one of those very good filmmakers who is less remembered today because he worked in so many different genres. In fact, he said that his career goal was to make at least one movie in every genre which, all things considered, is a pretty awesome thing to do. Visually, this is one of the most memorable neo-noir films I have seen – Parker is brilliant because he makes the locations look dirty and lived in. Most period films have sets and props that all look brand new, but not here. We see clunker cars from the ‘30s driving around twenty years later. Wallpaper is faded and torn. As a result, the world feels more genuine than many of its counterparts.

This is great considering that the storyline is headed to a bunch of wild places. The idea to dovetail the noir genre with horror is an inspired move – I am reminded of the classic Val Lewton-produced “The Seventh Victim.” Now, the fact that some of the supernatural elements focus on the African American characters raised the hairs on the back of my neck. However, I’ll freely admit I know nothing about the culture of witchcraft and devil worship from that period in the deep South, so I don’t want to comment on how authentic or problematic the portrayals here are. There were a few moments that made me uncomfortable, but I can find little writing about this online, so instead I’ll simply step aside and ask that if anyone knows anything, please feel free to let me know, because I would love to educate myself more on the subject… it’s quite fascinating.

That said, the incredible idea of the supernatural elements unfortunately create the biggest misstep of the movie… one so terrible it almost ruins all the good faith I had in the film leading up to it. And that’s the big reveal at the end – that Cyphre is Lucifer, has stolen Harry’s soul and that Harry has been the one brutally murdering supporting characters all along. At this point, the “it was the main character all along!” trope has been done so often, it’s as much of a clam as “The butler did it!” or “It was all a dream!” There are examples where a twist like this is done well – look at the excellent noir “Black Angel.” But here? No. Nope. Never. The saddest part is that I picked up on the indicators within the first 15 minutes but thought to myself “No! They would never!”… only to find more and more obvious “clues” as the film progressed. Anyone who has seen more than a dozen movies will probably be able to figure the twist out, and the execution is haphazard at best, laughable at worst.

It’s so frustrating because so much else is wonderful. Rourke, in his peak brooding handsome phase, is perfectly cast as Harry and gives the role his all. De Niro is clearly enjoying his villain turn… and those long fingernails… and in turn the viewer enjoys watching him. Bonet is excellent throughout and has one of the best visual femme fatale entrances ever, simply washing her hair over a basin. It’s simple, but mesmerizing. Trevor Jones’ score is appropriately dark and engaging, outstanding especially as the film opens. Parker conjures up some astonishing visual sequences, the most incredible of which is an intense sex scene during a storm where the rain dripping through the ceiling turns into a bloody downpour. Yes, you read that right.

All of this… and yet. God, I wish that last act hadn’t left such a shitty taste in my mouth. The film has become quite influential with filmmakers since its release, and understandably so. There are several sequences within it that are equal to the best noir has to offer. And because of that, I’m recommending it. But this could have and should have been a masterpiece.

Score: ***

Bound

The Film Noir Odyssey

Writer/Director: The Wachowskis

Cast: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano

Cinematography: Bill Pope

Music: Don Davis

Studio: Gramercy Pictures

Release: October 4, 1996

“Bound” is an audacious film noir in many ways, but perhaps the most shocking is that it believes in love.

In a genre where we have been spoon-fed for decades that love is a lie and lust is the cause of most violence & tragedy in the world, here is a film daring enough to have its main characters truly, madly, deeply fall for one another and push one another to become better people. It’s astonishing, really.

Gina Gershon plays the perfectly named Corky, who is just out of prison and has managed to get a job as a maintenance person at a classy apartment building. Living in the apartment next to the one Corky is renovating is mid-level mafia money launderer Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) and his kept girlfriend Violet (Jennifer Tilly). Corky begins to suspect Violet might be interested in her when Violet takes off her sunglasses to check Corky out in the elevator, then later calls Corky for help when her earring “accidentally” falls down the kitchen drainpipe while Violet just happened to be wearing her sexiest outfit.

The women begin an affair, and Violet admits that she is desperate to escape the cage she has found herself trapped in. When a little over $2 million in bloody cash finds its way into Caesar’s apartment, the duo hatch a plan to get the money and get Violet away from Caesar… but in order to pull it off, they’ll have to trust their feelings for one another. Nothing goes as planned, of course, and before the evening ends, cash is hidden in paint cans, expensive alcohol bottles are shattered and bodies of mafia dons & agents are piling up in the bathroom.

90% of the movie takes place in two apartments and a hallway, but you don’t notice it at the time because the film is uncanny in making the world feel big and expansive. The writers and directors are the Wachowskis, and this is their only noir – though one storyline in “Cloud Atlas” is a serious thriller, and the film was made on a low budget… but you would never know it from looking at it. It “feels” rich, thanks in part to the excellent cinematography by Bill Pope (“Darkman”) and the production design. There’s a shot near the end of a spinning gun splashing white paint everywhere as it slides across the floor that is one of the most indelible in all of noir… though for me, it’s equaled seconds later when a character is shot and collapses into the paint, his red blood mixing with the white as he goes through his death throes.

Still, as beautiful as the film is, the real stars here are Corky and Violet, both of whom present upon first glance as stock characters we’ve seen in movies like this a thousand times before. Corky is broken and unwilling to trust, and Violet’s voice and demeanor makes her sexy but seemingly stupid. Neither of these assumptions is true, and the movie comes to life through their interactions.

It’s not just the hot sex – I love the too-true moment when the sheets on the bed slip up as the women gyrate on them – but they can be honest with one another in ways you can tell they have never been with another person. Corky confronts Violet about all the sex she’s having with Caesar, wanting to dismiss their connection because of it, but Violet immediately pushes back: “It’s work,” she says simply, and Corky understands what she means. There’s a moment in the second act while the shit is hitting the fan where the women talk on the phone and unconsciously place their hands on either side of a wall dividing them… and I actually got choked up.

You find yourself rooting for these two crazy kids to live happily ever after (and cheer when they find a way to), but part of the brilliance of the screenplay is that the Wachowskis know this is a noir. The viewer has a built-in expectation that one will betray the other, and the duo are smart in how they tease that throughout, even as we fall as in love with the characters as they do with one another.

Both Gershon and Tilly seem to be having a blast in the roles, giving strong performances that are elevated much further because of the natural chemistry between them. Every male in the film is some variation on a dangerous buffoon, with Pantoliano finding the perfect balance between the two. Christopher Meloni also makes quite an impression chewing the scenery as an especially violent enforcer who gets the best line of the movie: after he has been fatally shot four times and collapses into a heap, he manages to mutter “don’t shoot” just before he expires.

Even though the movie has a lot of black humor, I must underline that it is still suspenseful and tension-filled. When some idiot cops show up just after a massacre in the apartment, the Wachowskis have a lot of fun with them missing the bloody carpet they are stepping on or the body in the tub they are peeing next to. But you’re still on the edge of your seat because you just want Violet to escape and get her happy ending.

The fact that she does is an exquisite bonus. It’s an aberration for noir – even when the main characters survive, it’s often with deep scars that they’ll take with them through the rest of their lives. Here, the women earn their joy at the end, and the Tom Jones “She’s a Lady” that plays over the finale and credits is the ideal way to bring a smile to your face. What?! Smiling at the end of a noir? Unheard of, I know, but in this case… it’s also the perfect way to fade to black.

Score: *****

Mona Lisa

The Film Noir Odyssey

Writer: Neil Jordan and David Leland

Director: Neil Jordan

Cast: Bob Hoskins, Cathy Tyson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Caine

Cinematography: Roger Pratt

Music: Michael Kamen

Studio: Island Pictures

Release: June 13, 1986

Awards: Hoskins was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Paul Newman in “The Color of Money.”

“Mona Lisa” would be a fine, completely forgotten noir if not for the fact that Bob Hoskins single-handedly picks it up and brings it almost to the point of transcendence. His performance makes the movie not just great, but essential viewing for any up-and-coming actor as he fashions of the great characters in all of noir. He won every single major award for this part except for the Oscar, which is one of the biggest acting robberies in the Academy’s history – right up there with Judy Garland losing for “A Star is Born.”

In case you can’t tell, this article is going to be a love letter to Bob Hoskins. Get ready.

He plays George, a former enforcer in the mafia who took the fall for his boss Denny (Michael Caine) and spent significant time in prison. He’s just been released and, as the film opens, realizes his daughter (Zoe Nathenson) doesn’t know who he is. He returns to Denny, expecting praise, cash and a big role in the mafia. Instead, he is given a job as a driver for a high-priced sex worker named Simone (Cathy Tyson). The two clash at first but slowly become close, and George falls head over heels with her. Simone begins to mention her former friend Cathy, begging George to help her track the young woman down. Despite some part of him knowing that this is going to end in heartbreak, George steps into the dangerous world of sex work in London to search for Cathy.

The storyline recycles a bunch of buddy-comedy tropes but plays them completely straight – Simone pays for George to get an upscale wardrobe and he purchases what looks like clown clothes, certain he has picked the right style. The dialogue is good-but-not-great throughout, but what screenwriters Neil Jordan (also the director) and David Leland are best at doing are putting George’s character in awkward situations and seeing how he reacts. This uncovers surprising humanity in scene after scene, especially the sweet ones between George and his daughter, which become the heart and soul of the movie. Other scenes, especially the ones with the gangsters, play unfortunately like clams. I must also mention a heinous scene where George, while looking for Cathy, accidentally stumbles into the room of a 15-year-old sex worker and has sex with her. The movie didn’t need it, it is not in keeping with George’s character and I wish it had never made the final cut of the film. And yes, it does cut away before George actually does anything, so one could argue he does not do it, but the cutting away itself implies he does have sex with her.

Other scenes soar, all thanks to Hoskins. How good is he in this part? He bounces off of each one of the other actors, challenging them and making them better simply by sharing scenes with them. Tyson is fine as Simone, good sometimes, wooden in certain scenes and awkward in others. But Hoskins reacts perfectly to her work, making his performance react to her uncertainty as if it was purposeful! I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone do that so successfully in film before. It’s astonishing, simple as that, and the role Hoskins was born to play.

It’s almost difficult to talk about the rest of the movie because everything ultimately comes back to Hoskins, but I’m going to try my darndest. Jordan (“The Crying Game”) can be the most audacious of directors when he wants to be, but here shoots everything in that boring, flat British miniseries way that hurts the style. When you compare his work here to his latest film, the hysterical, fun, trashy “Greta,” it seems like it was conjured by an entirely different visual artist. By the way, watch “Greta” if you have a chance – it’s cuckoo for cocoa puffs and a lot of fun. Sure, there are moments of inspiration, like where he stages a major chase sequence with George and Simone wearing stupid sunglasses, but the movie needed many more moments like that to really crackle visually.

Hoskins’ performance alone makes “Mona Lisa” into essential viewing for anyone who loves film and anyone who loves noir. But I wish the rest of the film rose to his level. You think of definitive noir performances – Stanwyck in “Double Indemnity,” Tierney in “Leave Her to Heaven,” Welles in “The Third Man”… they were masterful in masterful films. Here poor Hoskins is trapped in a movie that doesn’t meet him. What a shame.

Score: ****