Brick

We start proceedings with "Brendan" (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) standing over the body of a girl lying dead in a storm drain. It turns out that she is "Emily" - and was his girlfriend. He's very much on the edge of society at his school, but with the help of his way more savvy, but just as ostracised, friend "The Brain" (Matt O'Leary) he determines to infiltrate the local drug supply network and get to the legendary "Pin". This is where he expects to find answers, and maybe even a bit of retribution. Along the way he encounters some of the less savoury characters from his community - notably the hard-punching "Tug" (Noah Fleiss) and the manipulative "Laura" (Nora Zehetner) and takes a few beatings - but will he get to his well shielded mark? It's really well written, this drama. The dialogue is complex and quickly paced - especially when delivered by JGL and the understated O'Leary. The rest of it, though, is all just a bit like a slightly grittier edition of "90210". The characters are all too shallow, the string-puller is fairly obvious from the start and the denouement is both rushed and rather unsatisfactory. The lead role is well enough executed, but as the rather thinly constructed plot unravels I just found I didn't really care one way or the other about this one man detective agency, or who did what to whom - as it steadfastly hammered another nail into the US teenage education system.