This film is a real gem; I wasn't expecting too much from it, but was very pleasantly surprised.
It's not as self-serious as the recent 'Brick' which also explores the noir-highschool concept (rather brilliantly, I might add), but still delivers appropriate amounts of drama and tension where it counts, as well as a dose of humor for good measure.
The script is tight and interesting, if very slightly predictable (anyone with even a cursory knowledge of film noir could guess the direction that Micha Barton's character was going to take in the end), but the actors did a great job with their material, and the director kept the visuals interesting without going over the top on sex appeal or exaggerating the lifestyles of high school students; nobody drives a Porsche, nobody lives in a mansion, none of the girls are perfect barbie dolls, etc. The director deserves credit for staying away from these tropes and the characters benefit greatly for it.
Overall, a very good movie, and very much worth watching.
It's not as self-serious as the recent 'Brick' which also explores the noir-highschool concept (rather brilliantly, I might add), but still delivers appropriate amounts of drama and tension where it counts, as well as a dose of humor for good measure.
The script is tight and interesting, if very slightly predictable (anyone with even a cursory knowledge of film noir could guess the direction that Micha Barton's character was going to take in the end), but the actors did a great job with their material, and the director kept the visuals interesting without going over the top on sex appeal or exaggerating the lifestyles of high school students; nobody drives a Porsche, nobody lives in a mansion, none of the girls are perfect barbie dolls, etc. The director deserves credit for staying away from these tropes and the characters benefit greatly for it.
Overall, a very good movie, and very much worth watching.