2005 neo-noirRating: 13/20
Plot: Brenden finds his ex-girlfriend murdered a couple days after a cryptic phone conversation with her. With the help of a buddy, he tries to find her killer, uncovering a high school drug ring and getting beaten up numerous times.
Not a bad idea. Nor is it poorly acted. I like that Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and there's not really a weak link amongst his supporting cast. The dialogue's thick with noirish cliche, maybe too thick. I don't mind the dialogue of a movie wiping away any chance at realism, but since there was nothing unrealistic about the look or feel of the story, it almost clashed. Neither the story nor its characters were really all that interesting, and after half the movie had ended, the novelty of the dialogue wore off and I was left wondering how many times I'd get to see Gordon-Levitt punched, probably because he has too many names. This is the type of movie that I'll see on the blog at the end of the year and not really remember.
Pretty much agree with yr assessment. Having just the dialogue and the murder be the noir halmarks were not enough. Or too much.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your review, though Levitt's charisma, and the uniqueness of the idea would cause me to give it a 15. It is more memorable for me than a lot of films.
ReplyDelete16/20
ReplyDeleteGenre out of setting done right.