Friendly Request
When the collection of artists were gathering around one another for the making of this film, I couldn't help but wonder, when the film was in its infancy, whether or not this could be a totally successful film. I didn't doubt any of the talent of these people, but I admit that I was slightly cautious in the beginning if this could be pulled off. Then, when the trailer hit, I was so wowed by its hypnotic tone and somber visuals that my anticipation for it pretty much skyrocketed. Having actual seen the film, I'm happy to report that all the parties involved have done a wondrous job, cultivating in a near masterpiece.
Based on the Ben Mezrich book The Accidental Billionaires, the film opens up on Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) who, after a tortuous breakup conversation with his girlfriend, collaborates with his roommates on a project that rates women based on looks. Because of his veracity and intelligence, Zuckerberg gets invited to work on a local project for Harvard networking. That becomes the basis of the modern "Facebook" which he works on with his more financially stable best friend Eduardo (Andrew Garfield). But as the film shows in multiple deposition hearings, the friendships and betrayals start to show their true colors.
When David Fincher is directing a movie, you can pretty much guarantee that it's going to have some nice merits. What he brings here is his trademark sense of tight control that allows for a great visual feast to be seen. It may not be quite as illustrious as his previous film, but Fincher is still working with material that revolves around intimacy, and he handles the material so seamlessly that it feels effortless. Even in the one instance, present in every Fincher film and surely recognizable in this one, that disavows the natural rhythm of the storytelling in favor of eccentric visual flare feels to have slightly more meaning than his previous indulgences. It's evidence of a filmmaker who is older, not too much wiser, but learning not to seep into mediocrity in his old age (I'm looking at you to follow, Clint Eastwood).
While I did like Fincher's last film a good deal, a big hiccup was that the marriage of director and writer wasn't in complete bliss. Fincher's sense of nihilism doesn't mesh well with Eric Roth's sentimentality. This time around, it would seem that an Aaron Sorkin script, which predicates itself on dialogue that is so quick and fee-flowing that it seems improvised, wouldn't work well with Fincher's controlling and meticulous direction. But in a way, Sorkin's writing has always been dependent on the precision of its delivery, and his script here is very well done. He paints a story that touches on all the raw emotions that surface when friends turn on one another, as well as providing some interesting tension during the deposition scenes. It's another gem in the Sorkin crown, already glowing pretty brightly.
What surprised me the most of this film is that it really isn't a centerpiece on Zuckerberg; he's the core that holds the film together, but he is nowhere near the most important piece to the puzzle. Not to take anything away from Eisenberg, who has been delivering great work since The Squid and the Whale and once again gives an outstanding performance that captures all the right tones that Zuckerberg should maintain. It might not all be true, but Eisenberg embodies a quiet persona that lets onto a complex mind that brims underneath. Garfield is another actor that I've been impressed with for a few years, and word on the street is it was this performance that nabbed him the role of Spider-Man. I can definitely see that, and he is, in my opinion, the best performer in the film, bringing in all the humor and hurt emotions that feel so genuine. I hope Eisenberg and Garfield nab Oscar nominations, and at this point, I'd put Garfield down as a winner in my own personal book.
However, they are not the only good performers here. Timberlake shows up as notorious Napster founder Sean Parker, and he pours on a sly and devious character that makes an interesting foil to the more sheepish Zuckerberg. Timberlake doesn't chew the scenery as much as I would have wanted him to (when you have a character that can get away with it, you should take it), but he's memorable enough to leave an impression on the film as well as leave a promise for an already well established acting career. I also really liked Armie Hammer, who plays the twins that claim to have provided the idea of Facebook that Zuckerberg stole, hence the deposition. It's difficult for any actor to act with themselves, but he pulls it off flawlessly. There's so much he brings to the table that his convictions made me eager to see a film based entirely on his characters. He is the unsung hero of the film that works best when looked as an ensemble piece.
At first, I thought I wasn't incredibly wowed by the film, but after thinking about it more and more, I really did end up loving it. Even the one moment I thought was odd actually makes sense in the larger context. I don't think it's my favorite Fincher film (there's always a place for Fight Club) but he and his collaborators have crafted, without a doubt, one of the best films of the year. Smartly written, wonderfully performed and touching on universal themes known for generations, this is a movie that reminds you of what great filmmaking can aspire to be.
A
Feeling Drained
For some reason or another, the necessity of Americans to have their own English language interpretations of foreign stories is never in short supply. Although, for some unknown and blessed reason, Alfonso Cuarón’s Y Tu Mamá También hasn’t received such treatment. Still, not only has the appetite for American remakes continue to stay strong, the amount of time between the original film and the remake has begun to shrink. Earlier this year we had Death at a Funeral, whose original film was only two and a half years old. Now even the half year is shaved off, as the film this one is based on was released in 2008. As a stand alone piece, it manages some nice tricks here and there while obviously coming up short in its unescapable comparison.
Let the Right One In was an atmospheric vampire film set in Sweden that focused on the relationship between a boy named Oscar and a little girl named Eli with a taste for blood. The new film transport the action to 1983 New Mexico, with now Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) dodging sadistic bullies at every turn. There are also new neighbors who have just moved in next door to Owen’s apartment: an older gentleman (Richard Jenkins) and a younger girl named Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz) with the same thirst.
If you are familiar with the original film, then you’ll recognize just how similar the plot is to the first one. In fact, writer-director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) seems to have set out to strike the same type of story and tone as the original did. This makes is particularly difficult to judge it as a stand alone piece because so many elements of this film harken back to its Swedish predecessor. While Reeves never quite manages to capture the more ambiguous and ominous tone from the original, which here has pretty much been jettisoned in favor of blunt storytelling, what he does maintain well is a film that works best as a dark love story. For as much horror there is in the film, there’s just enough of the more tender moments as well. Reeves even shortened a subplot that concerned a newly made vampire, and even though he retreads on what most of the original had, there’s a distinct flavor he tries to make his own.
I remember thinking that while Kodi Smit-McPhee was capable in The Road, there was something about a lack of connection with Mortensen that kept me at a distance. Much of the film is Smit-McPhee by himself, and he’s actually quite impressive, carrying a bit more mystery and intrigue than the original Oscar had. I do feel that Moretz is a bit of a letdown, if only because her familiarity with the current pop culture makes the mysterious quality of her character seem less fulfilled. Much like the original film, most of the talented adult actors like Elias Koteas and Richard Jenkins, are left on the sideline, while the bully character this time doesn’t have the same contradictory appeal as the original film had.
If you haven’t seen the original film, then you might like this presentation of a more intimate horror film with some shining performances and tender moments. If you have seen the original, then you’re mind will always harken back to what that film did so well and how hard this one is trying to copy it. Even though Let the Right One In wasn’t perfect, it did handle its material a little better, keeping the horror to an absolute minimum. Let Me In embellishes a little bit more in the horror, but also does its best to sharpen the focus on the relationships. That iconic pool scene doesn’t have the same grab as executed the first time, but it attempts to make it its own. Reeves achieves that to an extent, and hopefully it will give people an incentive to see the original film.
B-
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