Notable Director Works: Rian Johnson

Brick is a brilliant take on the noir genre, played out by high schoolers. It sounds crazy, but it clicks perfectly. Johnson tips his hat more than once to the genre classics and tropes, but, similar to the 2009 Star Trek film, never overplays his hand.

The film follows Brenden (an early Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon, Looper, The Dark Knight Rises) as he navigates the darker side of his high school in pursuit of his ex-girlfriend, who’s disappeared after calling him and begging for his help. As he searches and broods, he enlists the help of Laura (Nora Zehetner, TV’s Grey’s Anatomy), and manipulates the feuding gangs of his high school.

In an odd way Johnson’s genre-ized flick manages to capture the elusive element missing from so many high school movies: reality. Somewhere in the lightning dialogue and unreal gang war scenarios is a honest and sincere glimpse into actual teenagers. It might just be too smart for it’s own good, but some of the best things are, and Brick is nothing short of first-rate.

With The Brothers Bloom we get a stylish, lively, and cutesy take on the con-man genre. But it’s all part of Johnson’s early quirk, and it sure pays off in this movie.

Bloom (Adrien Brody, The Darjeeling Limited, Midnight In Paris, The Pianist) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo, The Avengers, Shutter Island, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) have been in the con business since they were boys, but Bloom has always wanted out. Stephen offers him one last con: to rob the beautiful, shut-in Penelope (Rachel Weisz, The Mummy, Oz the Great and Powerful), who presents Bloom with more reality than he bargained for.

Their story exists in a timeless world without cell phones, and with a twinge of magical reality that wraps up a story of two brothers’ relationship. At times, sure, it’s a little unclear what’s happening and the movie seems pretty smug with itself. But The Brothers Bloom takes on a con of its own, and between the characters and the mise-en-scene it’s hard to even care. It’s an eccentric caper from start to finish.

Keep an eye out for Rinko Kikuchi (who is brilliant in all things, Babel, with the first speaking role I’ve seen from her in this summer’s Pacific Rim) as the explosive Bang Bang, who, though silent, is well worth the attention. And keep an ear out for the fabulous soundtrack by Nathan Johnson, the director’s brother. Sample track: 

Trance

Fresh off his foray in directing the Opening Olympic Ceremonies, Danny Boyle returns to his true medium with his latest film Trance.  

Boyle’s take on the heist genre centers around fine art auctioneer Simon (James McAvoy, Atonement, X-Men First Class) planning to steal the masterpiece “Witches in the Air” only to find himself literally struck with amnesia concerning the location of the painting.  With the mobsters (Vincent Cassel, Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method) breathing down his neck, he seeks the aid of hypnotist Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson, Rent, Sin City) to cure his amnesia; only to uncover far more horrific secrets buried within his mind.

As stylish as ever, Trance is injected with Boyle’s unique brand of edginess and precision. His kinetically electronic score and vibrantly saturated photography frames a delectably intricate narrative, with sharp twists behind each corner. While some thrillers rely solely on a truth bomb at the end, Trance delicately places pieces of the puzzle throughout the film, slowly allowing uneven perceptions to come into focus. The effect is both unnerving and invigorating.  

The film is perfectly realized through its dynamic cast. McAvoy refreshingly takes a step back from his golden boy persona, delving into a far more detestable and disturbing character, and Cassel is perfect in his blend his thuggish bad guy with a more identifiable everyman. Particularly noteworthy was Dawson’s performance as the good doctor; her performance is both sensual and sinister, carefully maintaining both a provocatively inviting and darkly deceptive demeanor.

Though not as groundbreaking or cleanly executed as his other films, Trance still stands as a respectable entry into Boyle’s canon and is one of the wittier and exhilarating films in theaters right now. We’ll wrap this up before we give away anymore, because once it gets in your head you won’t be able to shake it; it’s absolutely hypnotic.