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Last week the film festival was in town. Only made it out to two films, but they were both quite excellent. Got a chance to see “Brick” and “A Wonderful Night in Split.”

“Brick” is perhaps best described as a noir film set in highschool. It was very odd, but quite good. The film work was a little bit rough here and there, but it did not detract from the movie. The script was excellent, the dialog was perhaps the part that tried to play to the noir style the most. In order to keep that style they sacrificed much of the potential realism of the high school setting, but successfully made nods to it here and there as a method of drawing out a laugh or a different perspective. The lack of realism did not detract from the film as it was clear from the beginning that some willing suspension of disbelief was expected. This gave the script free reign to mix and match serious and absurd in an entertaining manner. Femme fatales, crippled criminal masterminds, and a protaganist with an instinct for getting beaten up, yet continuing onward at all costs, the movie had it all.

“A Wonderful Night in Split” is a black and white film from croatia about three drug related tragedies that all cross each others paths on a new years eve in the croation city of Split. While aspects of the film are disturbing and depressing the film keeps itself level by keeping the underlying tone of the film a black comedy. The film work is excellent, black and white fireworks never looked so pretty. Good overlap, just enough to remind the viewer that each short was happening at the same time, but no more then that. A few of the actors over played a touch, but most of the characters seemed right on the ball for what the script intended them to be. Definitely a worthwhile film to see.