Posted: 5/23/2006 10:21:39 AM EDT
|
What do you get when you cross classic 1940's Mickey Spillane action and dialoge with a modern SoCal high school? You get a movie that works! Especially in this day and age when there is plenty of drama in the High Schools to draw from and/or borrow. Brendan, the moody high school loner (without an assault rifle), tries to solve the mystery surrounding the death of his ex-girl. She called him the day of her death, scared shitless and seeking his help. Old loyalties are strong so Brenden first tries to find her, but soon discovers she is dead. Now, his mission is to find those responsible and bring them to justice. To do so, he must infiltrate the dark underbelly of the local drug trade. Instead of a sympathetic but impatient connection in the local PD (ala the normal Mickey Spillane pulp), his connection is the high school Vice Principal adept at using him as a reluctant informant. Brendan is all alone in his efforts except for his one friend, aptly knicknamed "the brain." With the Brain providing heady analysis and occasional logistical support, Brenden dives headfirst into the rat infested gutters that lie just under the calm surface of San Clemente high. This movie is adept at placing teenagers into much more adult and dangerous surroundings. In most normal high schools if you fuck up, you get detention; in this one you could get the hammer of dead. Seeing such obviously young people dealing with blatently adult situations was riviting, at least for me it was. Great performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Brenden, Lukas Haas as the "Pin", and special kudos to Noah Fleiss for his performance as the ever simmering and wanting to explode "Tug," the enforcer. A little gun pron, lots of fisticuffs, and a few chicky snaks to feast your eyes upon (Emilie De Ravin and Nora Zehetner) I give it: *** |