Part of the charm of Max Fischer’s productions in “Rushmore” was their absurd juxtaposition of high school students acting out stage versions of violent, brutal films such as “Serpico.” This is the conceit of Rian Johnson’s “Brick,” a highly caricaturized rehashing of film noir elements set within a So-Cal high school. “Brick,” however, does not pander to the comic, but utilizes the high school drug runners, gangsters, femme fatales, flashy society parties, and private eyes to reinvigorate the noir genre. The story is simple: Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in one of the most astounding performances of the year) descends into the seedy underbelly of his high school to solve and revenge the death of his ex-girlfriend (Emile de Ravin) – a typical noir tale that starts with a muted trumpet and a drainage pipe reminiscent of “Chinatown.”

“Brick” is a homage, and is purposefully not played straight, all of the characters exaggerated to such a degree that one cannot help but understand their archetypical roles: The Brain, the nerdy kid with the coke bottle glasses that can solve a Rubix cube in 30 seconds flat; two femme fatales, one in the upper crust of society – the arm candy of the football star, the other the queen of the drama department, always in makeup and a constant stream of doting admirers; and The Pin, the 25 year-old drug runner who lives with his mother and does his deals over country style apple juice. Even the dialogue is purposefully overplayed, utilizing the parlance of school to enhance the acerbic wit made famous by Bogart, Lorre, and Mitchum. Picking a fight with some stoners, Frye quips: “Throw one at me if you want, hash head. I’ve got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you” and later in a showdown with Assistant VP Gary Trueman (played by Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft), a throwback to scenes of the private eye squaring off with the hard-nosed police commissioner, Frye snaps: “No more of these informal chats! If you have a disciplinary issue with me, write me up or suspend me and I’ll see you at the parent-teacher conference.”

Even if you have never heard of Sam Spade or Philip Marlow, “Brick” is more than just geeky references but is packed full of top-notch performances and easily one of the most engrossing films of the year.