Very good movie. I'll definately have to see it again. Levitt was great! I wished for more Emilie but oh well. I thought the first half was pure A-Material. The second half was a bit of a letdown. It's one of those movies where the grade is likely to go up after more viewings. A/A-

Sorry andaroo, but I loved it. A

Second time, still brilliant

I thought I was going to love the movie after the first shot, where nothing was said. That was not the case, though. It was just too odd. It felt like I was watching a high school play of 12 angry men, or something, where people are playing characters that are obviously supposed to be way older than they really are.

It has some moments, usually when no one is talking, but the feeling of kids playing dress-up was too much to overcome.

**

Once I realized that, yes, they're serious and just watched it for the surreal, other-worldly oddity it is, I really got into it. I loved how it was basically the "neo-noir set in a high school" that it was billed to be, but also so much more, so much its own, new thing. It kinda drifts, or more accurately, blends between throwback to the 40s and everyday teen film. Obviously there's the dialect and subject matter, but then the next scene its him in bed with the girl, so emotional and typical. I dunno if I'm making much sense, but I guess my point is that even through all this strange and different it managed to feel familiar and largely believable. But again, in order to see and appreciate it in this way, you really have to do the ole (ironically, perhaps) disbelief thing.

Extremely suprised by this movie.

Suprised that this didnt have a shot in the theaters (At least I dont remember it)

Great plot/subculture of suburbia/high school life.

It was also in EW's top 50 high school movies of all time.

A-

My kind of movie. I just love-love-love-love-love-love-loved it. A

While I don't think this is as original as makeshift gushes that it is (it is esssentially a film noir done in highschool), I do have to admit that I was floored by the film. It does look and feel and sound like one of the most original films to come out in quite a while. I can't believe this is the same guy that was in Third Rock From The Sun. His performance is easily one of the best of the year and so is Lukas Haas. The acting and especially the screenplay are way better than they are supposed to be. And this is what happens when you have no studio interference in a project. You get original and beautiful films like this. I loved the film and it has to said that Emile de Ravin has to be one of the most beautiful women in movies right now.

9.5/10

Well said

Finally got around to renting this...

I hadn't heard of this until I caught the trailer, and then it jumped up to my most anticipated of the year. Unfortunately, it never came to my city in theatres, so I had to wait until the DVD. It was worth the wait.

I'm a sucker for cool language, so I really dug the stylized dialogue in this. Some of the terms I was a bit fuzzy on, and had to look up in the glossary while I was watching, but I mostly understood everything that was going on. The plot, though complex, was fairly easy for me to get, though I wanted more depth. It ended too soon for me, which is usually the sign of a great movie for me. The showy camera was very well-suited for the movie, and there are some scenes (the footrace through the school standing out) where I was blown away by the technical creativity. The acting was fairly solid, with Gordon-Levitt and the guy playing the Brain standing out for me. In fact, the entire interaction between Brendan and the Brain was by far my favourite part of the movie. They're just so cool without really intending to be. The girl playing Laura was pretty bland, but that was just about the only downside for me. Very original and innovative.

I wonder if this film will actually be fresh enough in the academy's mind to noiminate it for some well deserved awards?

I'd love that, but it came out way too early and hasn't gotten nearly enough of a following - the one that it has is much too young - to do so.

This is a film that is far to clever for it own good. the machine-gun dialogue is very hard to follow and the main plot is very lightweight. But in its defense its highly risky in its approach and some of the scene are some of the funniest you will ever see. A glorious experiment but no masterpiece.

B

it was allright, i would rate it a B-.

If anyone is looking for undeniable proof of thompsoncory's bad taste....

Like Zingy, I guessed both Laura's involvement (which Johnson intentionally made obvious with the cigarette) and Brendan being the father. As I result I felt underwhelmed as those two conclusions seemed to be it, but god the very ending! Silhouette of Laura strolling off the field, of Brendan just standing there, my lord what brilliant film-making. It really is the modernization of film noir in the best form I've seen.

I think that is one of the best things about the film... it balances straight homage with all out spoof quite well,


Makeshift's best statement in the whole thread.

Rewatched it in preparation for Looper... Still love it. There's some brilliant cuts that lend some great comic timing. Also the usage of sound to cover for the microbudget is very impressive, particularly in the climax.

Bump for the release of director Rian Johnson's latest ambitious failure, Looper.

I saw this when it first came out on DVD and really didn't like it. I did appreciate things about it and do understand the appeal to some, but I couldn't get around the dialogue. Maybe it was just lost on me but they may as well have been speaking another language. I did love the reference to the horror film "May," which is a favorite of mine. Nora Zehetner also had a small role in that film and Rian Johnson edited it.

I'd probably give this a C. Might give it another viewing someday.