With his low-budget debut Brick, director Rian Johnson deconstructs traditional film noir and rebuilds it in a modern landscape. Gone are the trilby-donning tough guys in dark alleys in favour of grungy teens sloping through the halls of a California high school. Thankfully though this isn't just another teen movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing it straight as the amateur private dick. The story lacks a memorable sucker punch at the end, but it's tough not to like for sheer guts.

Brendan (Gordon-Levitt) follows the trail of his missing girlfriend with a dogged persistence and a bone-dry wit. For Gordon-Levitt, this is a world away from the goofball antics of sitcom Third Rock From The Sun where he got his big break. Less is more - except for the dialogue. It's ripe with flowery lingo and delivered with the deadpan patter of Humphrey Bogart. But instead of being a laughable parody, sincere acting and crisp direction lend an air that's too cool for school.

"INTRICATE WEB OF DECEIT"

It's heady stuff, albeit initially bewildering. The plotting is convoluted, but Brendan serves as a dependable guide through this got-to-be intricate web of deceit. Meanwhile Lukas Haas is perfect as the villain whose soft-spoken manner conceals the hard edges; even when his mother appears with a tray of cookies his credibility isn't dented. Sadly, Nora Zehetner disappoints as the femme fatale. There's no palpable sexual tension between her and Gordon-Levitt, which undermines a vital thread of the action and the big finale is rendered limp. Still, even with its shortcomings, Brick provides solid thrills for film noir fans.