This week, I'm recommending the film "Assassination of a High School President," which is directed by Brett Simon and stars Reece Daniel Thompson, Mischa Barton, and Bruce Willis. The film aspires to join the illustrious "high school-set noir" genre that includes such great films as "Brick" and... well, pretty much just "Brick." That was, at least, until the release of this film in 2008.
While they are both noir tales told in a high school setting, "Assassination of a High School President" tells its tale of mystery and femme fatales with a great deal more John Hughes-y high schoolery. What I mean by this is that where "Brick" is a no-nonsense, dark and brooding noir mystery, "Assassination" doesn't shy away from the lovable, coming-of-age character work that we usually get in stories set in high school. It's a tricky line to walk, but the film does so with an easily likable sense of humor and a few very enjoyable performances.
Chief among the commendable performances is that of protagonist Bobby Funke, as played by Reece Daniel Thompson. I first saw Thompson in a similar role in a similarly likable high school film called "Rocket Science" (sneaky, sub-recommendation!), and he gives just as honest and relatable a performance here as a sophomore investigative reporter who gets caught up in some pretty shady business at St. Donovan's Catholic high school. He is essentially forced to carry the film, and manages to apply the fun, noir veneer to the adolescent academic proceedings quite convincingly. Also worth noting is a small supporting role by Bruce Willis, who plays the school's militaristic principal with plenty of his characteristic badassery. Less impressive is the performance of Mischa Barton, though she does a competent job as the archetypal femme fatale.
The script by Tim Calpin and Kevin Jakubowski has some fun moments, and the direction by Brett Simon is fluid and engaging without any gratuitous slickness. The world of St. Donovan's is populated by charismatic side characters, and there's often something mischievous happening in the background of shots. The soundtrack is also quite good at melding the mystery with the setting, and there are a few fun montages squeezed out of the musical choices. The overall look of the film has a very appropriate noir-darkness, but it never goes so far as to compromise the tongue-in-cheek tone of the script.
Overall, the pieces here come together to make an enjoyable whole. It's a fun watch if you like your coming-of-age stories with a little twist to make things a bit more exciting, but if you're looking for a high school noir with a little more dramatic bite, definitely check out Rian Johnson's "Brick." This, on the other hand, is a very likable little comedy with a few lovely performances.
No comments:
Post a Comment