So here is a new feature that I plan to do at least every two weeks – I need to time to catch up on films that I’ve missed from the directors that I will cover – where I will talk about my thoughts on a particular filmmaker and give mini-reviews for that director’s films (or at least more or less a the highlight reel to his/her films).  I will try to cover not only new and upcoming filmmakers but well-established ones.  Let me know in the comments what you think about this article and if you think it is something you’d like to see me continue to do.

Rian Johnson is a writer/director that I have a lot of interest in for many reasons but I think the biggest reason is that he is a new director who has only done a two movies and his debut feature film – Brick – was one of those movies that I fell in love with because I felt like I had discovered something special.  I know, I wasn’t at Sundance when it was debuting and ended up winning a Special Jury Prize for Originality or Vision, but at the time I had yet to become aware of the huge film loving blogosphere and I had not heard of the film before and I had just decided on a whim one afternoon to sit down and watch this obscurely named movie and ended up being completely blown away.  It is definitely way too early to call him one of the best out there – like how I’d like to – but it’s very easy to say that he is a writer/director that you have to look out for.

Evil Demon Golfball From Hell!!! (1996) – Short

After a thief comes across this, what can only be considered to be called a possessed, golf ball that bounces on its own; the ball decides to follow the thief home after his latest heist and drive him crazy.

This is a short film that Rian apparently did while still in film school and lasts a runtime of 8 minutes and 10 seconds.  The film contains a lot of different feelings to it.  It begins in a dark mysterious sense as it tries to introduce us to its main characters: the thief and the golfball from hell.  Then while the thief is driving home we are treated to what is my favourite shot of the short.  After being distracted by the golfball following, and keeping up I might add, the thief home the thief almost crashes and decides to hit the brakes.  In that exact moment we see lights hit the thief flush in the face and his cigarette that he was attempting to light falls out of his mouth as if gravity may just be lacking in this small space of the world, which I find amazing.  Then we reach home to see the golfball having found the thief and driving him insane the movie becomes a monster movie and all you can do is laugh as the thief lunges towards a rug to save some innocent by standards.  The golfball may be representing the guilt that the thief is feeling for having robbed and murdered the man in the beginning of the film but I prefer to believe that it was all real and that damn rug was out to get those two college students.

If you haven’t seen this short film, feel free to watch it in the video below:

Brick (2005)

After Emily goes missing Brendan, Emily’s ex-boyfriend and loner/super-sleuth, decides to go deep into the school’s underground drug ring to figure out what happened to Emily and who did it to her.

Here comes a movie that is as smart as it is beautiful.  I’m not sure how much of a budget that Rian had to do this movie but it definitely didn’t seem to be hindering the director.  I found my only wonder, which was later cleared up to be purposeful, was that it seemed odd that the film was about these high school students who never seemed to go to school and acted like 40-year old men and women.  I loved this, but at the same time felt so odd that I had to ask myself while watching the movie why the story was told through these characters rather than just making all the characters adults and being able to be a normal detective film and then thinking about this the movie would lose its individuality and originality if he did that; so never mind, just forget what I just said.  I love this movie for its amazing dialogue, great fun characters and also for making me remember that detective movies can be smart and not talk down to their audience.  It also is one of those movies that belongs to a special class of film that gets better with every viewing.

The Brothers Bloom (2009)

The Brothers Bloom decides to perform their final con with Penelope Stamp as their final mark as they take a huge adventure across Europe.

After the great film that was Brick and I heard that Mr. Johnson had a second movie finally coming out there was no more information required for my money be ready for spending.  The film featured a slew of characters and even though the film had a lighter feel than his previous work it definitely didn’t feel like Rian had taken on a different persona for this project.  It still kept with his great dialogue and well composed scenes that make the movie a marvel to behold.  The story featured some great characters which actually feel like they came straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon that parents wouldn’t mind watching with their children.  Just like with Brick we were never talked down to by the characters or the camera and were given a great tale where we had a lot to do rather than some more amateur films where they hold our hand and carry us kicking and screaming through plot points and making us beg for them to stop.

The movie hit rental stores recently and I was able to view it and discover the wonder of this world of gentlemen thieves.  The film may be about con men but I beg you not to run in expecting The Sting.  This is a completely different kind of movie, as is said in the opening of the movie “As far as con men stories go, I think I’ve heard them all … but if one bears a bookmark in the confidence man’s tone it would be that of Penelope and of The Brothers Bloom…”  The film begins by letting us all know that it is one of the originals out there and I can’t deny it that title for I love it.

Upcoming Work

Looper (2010)

Very few details have been released as to the status of this project.  However, what is known is that the film will play with the science-fiction genre and it was mentioned last year on /film that Rian Johnson was quoted saying that “Looper is set in a present-day world in which a group of hitmen are sent their victims from the future.”  Which I can say sounds like a great idea.  I can only imagine the main characters in the film being hitmen who have worked together for years and are going through the motions only to one day have to do a kill that one of the two don’t want to do – more than likely for personal reasons – and ends up making a great grand tale that will delight me for years to come.

You can find Rian Johnson all over the internet he has a twitter account @rcjohnso and his personal website where he links to all of his work and other blogs/websites is http://rcjohnso.com.

So what are your thoughts on Rian Johnson and his films?