The Social Network (2010) Film Review



It has been a while since I have written a review. This is mostly down to a lack of inspiration, call it a “critic’s block”. I simply had nothing I especially wanted to write about. Recently, a film popped onto my radar known as The Social Network, directed by David Fincher. The film depicts the true story of how Mark Zuckerburg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, created Facebook.

When people heard that there was going to be a Facebook movie, I don’t think many took the idea seriously. Some said that it was a stupid idea, that a film about the creation of Facebook could not possibly make for good cinema. Little did these individuals know that The Social Network would prove to be more than just a movie. The Social Network is a critical analysis of our society, a realistic portrayal of the “internet generation” and the defining film of this era.

The film draws comparison between new and old generations. Zuckerburg acts as the idea of the new generation (the “internet generation”) whereas other characters, such as Zuckerburg’s best friend Eduardo, act as the old school generation. The film shows the new generation’s failure to communicate and act properly, showing how their rude and impersonal attitude towards others can ultimately let them down, and how a lack of insight into this truth can continue to bring them unhappiness. As you can imagine, this is very hard to explain, which emphasizes on just how deep this film is. I cannot fully understand it because it is on such a level of complexity. This film is the magnum opus of our generation.

All the praise I have given this film so far has not even touched on the quality of the acting or direction. I can assure you that it is excellent. Jesse’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerburg is outstanding. He’s rude, fast talking, awkward and an accurate symbol of the new generation. All the other actors do a fantastic job as well. A lot of effort was put into every single performance and it really shows.

The direction is intense and exiting; with pacing so fast it keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The fact that Fincher managed to make a film about Facebook intense is truly an accomplishment. The impression left by the direction stuck with me for hours after I had seen the film, I was still enthralled even though the film had ended.

In conclusion, The Social Network is a masterpiece that accurately defines our generation, whilst also pointing out the flaws. It will be remembered as a landmark film, a classic for future generations.

5/5

Shute The Critic's Most Wanted Upcoming Film, Album and Video Game

Film - The Adventures of Tintin

From Director Steven Spielburg and Producer Peter Jackson comes this performance capture 3D film based on The Adventures of Tintin comic book series by Belgian artist Georges Rémi (1907–1983), better known by his pen name, Hergé.
The animation looks stunning, and seeing as how this film is the joint effort of two of the greatest modern day film makers, I can see no conceivable way that this could be bad. I hope for the sake of Tintin fans everywhere that it lives up to the classic comic books.

Album - Smile/The Smile Sessions by The Beach Boys

Smile was a Beach Boys album intended to follow their masterpiece, Pet Sounds (1966). The album was recorded in 1966-67, but was never released due to problems which Brian Wilson (lead songwriter) encountered. Technical difficulties were a problem due to the complexity of the project, and Brian's mental state was at an all time low. Instead of Smile, Beach Boys fans got a different album, with alternate versions of Smile tracks included, called Smiley Smile.
Smile was left alone until, in 2003, Brian Wilson performed the album in its entirety to a very select audience, which included fellow musicians such as Paul McCartney. The entire performance was recorded and can be viewed online. This performance gave Brian the idea to finish the album by himself, so he did. In 2004, Smile was finally released, not under The Beach Boys, but under the name of Brian Wilson. the album has received more critical acclaim than any other since the year 2000 and onwards.
Finally, on November 1st 2011, The Smile Sessions by the Beach Boys is getting a proper release. The box set will include Smile, reconstructed from original recordings, along with alternate takes and session highlights. The world has waited 45 years for this album, and it's finally coming out.

Video Game - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyim is the sequel to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006). The Elder Scrolls is a series of Role-Playing Games which uses a First-Person perspective. The games are open world, and allow the player a lot of freedom, not only in where they go, but what choices they make.
Skyim will feature many improvements to the gameplay, including levelling perks, improved NPC conversation system, dragon battles and much, much more.
The hype surrounding Skyrim is unheard of. The game will have to be a masterpiece for it to not be a disappointment. I'd recommend looking up some gameplay footage. From what's been displayed so far, it's looking sure to be Game of the Year.

Avatar (2009) Film Review

Avatar is a film that will be remembered. That much is certain. This film completely won over audiences in 2009 and was hugely successful in the box office, not unlike James Cameron’s previous effort, Titanic (released in 1997). However, while Titanic was not even close to being worthy of its hype and cult status, Avatar is.

On a visual level, this film is one of the most (if not the most) beautiful films ever made. The effects took 12 years to pull off and that really shows. The scenery is vivid and beautiful, the creatures are detailed and imaginative and world of Pandora feels full of life. The plants and animals all feel like they could (and should) be real, which really sucks you into this world and makes you want to believe that it’s real.

The design for both the human technology and the inhabitants of Pandora is exceptionally impressive, managing to be both creative and believable at the same time. The Na’vi are also fantastic. Their war paint makes them look fierce and strong, while their language gives the impression that they are also very wise.

However, amongst all this originality and visual prowess is what many people consider to be the weakest aspect of Avatar, and that’s its plot. The plot is nothing new, and some of the characters are slightly stereotypical. I also felt that the back-story of the main character could have been explored a bit more. However, the characters which really made me get emotionally involved with the film were the Na’vi. As the film progresses, I came to understand the Na’vi and their culture. By the end of the film, I really found myself on the edge of my seat. I wanted them to win. It was at that moment when I realised what a brilliant film this truly was.

In conclusion, Avatar is a flawed masterpiece. While it may not satisfy plot-wise, the visual effects, creativity, cinematography and emotional involvement make this film a must see. Many years into the future, there is a good chance that this film is looked back upon and viewed as a classic.

I watched the Collector’s Edition version of the film, which features 16 minutes worth of deleted scenes. While this may not sound like much, they were very good scenes. They gave the plot a bit more depth and explained some things which weren’t explained in the original theatrical release.

4/5

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Film Review

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a Chinese martial arts film released in the year 2000. Since its release, it has received a lot of attention internationally and has received multiple awards for its art direction, cinematography, acting, musical score and much more. Armed with this knowledge, I knew I had a good deal on my hands when I saw this film being sold for 50p in a second-hand shop. I bought it without hesitation, and am now ready to give my opinion.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a film that does not fall into any single category. While it is, technically, a martial arts film, it manages to be so much more. As well as some of the best fight choreography I have ever seen, this film boasts an impressive cast of actors, as well as a character driven plot that manages to be deep and meaningful as well as exiting and fast pasted.

The action sequences in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon achieve what most modern action films can do with CGI, but does it without any form of computer generated effects, and looks all the more fluid and natural for it. The rules of physics break for the action in this film, allowing things like wall running and roof jumping to become possible. All of these effects are achieved with methods beyond my knowledge, and they look spectacular. The actual fighting is also very impressive, with fast paced sword duels and intense hand to hand combat. The action is so fast paced, it makes you wonder how long these scenes to choreograph and rehearse.

The plot of this film is, like every other aspect, fantastic. The story is one of love and betrayal, one of passion and vengeance, one of life and death. The characters are deep, complex and contrasting, each with their own back-story and motives. Where there is one character who wishes for peace, but lives the life of a warrior, there is another who lives a peaceful life, but dreams of being a master swordsman. There is a lot of symbolism in the film as well, which only makes it even more stunning to watch. The ending of the film is exceptionally beautiful, and leaves room for a lot of interpretation.

In conclusion, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one of the finest foreign films I have ever seen. The viewing of this film is a beautiful experience that I will never forget.

I recommend watching in Mandarin with subtitles.

5/5

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) by Kanye West Album Review

For my first album review, I am returning to an album released last year. This album is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West, an album that is already considered to be not only a modern masterpiece, but also one of the finest works of the 21^st century and a milestone in hip-hop music.

This album is, for the most part, a mainstream hip-hop record, but don’t let that label put you off. Fantasy twists what it means to be mainstream into something strange and dark, but also something complex and heartbreaking.

Part of what makes Fantasy such a great piece of music is that you really feel like Kanye is speaking from the heart. He appears to be in a similar position that Michael Jackson was in during his golden days, going crazy from the fame. However, instead of hiding in plain sight, like Michael did, Kanye embraces his confusion and turns it into music.

The production on this album is the best in a hip-hop album since, well, ever. I honestly could not think of a record that manages to top the production seen on this album. Kanye’s samples are layered and fluid, just like his lyrics, and his vocal effects make the whole experience feel surreal, like you are diving into his subconscious. The lyrics are honest and human, displaying confusion, depression, sex and tragedy all at the same time. His own views on sex have become so tragically surreal and his self confessions are heartbreaking to listen to.

Fantasy features a huge array of guest appearances, ranging from fellow rappers such as Jay-Z and Raekwon, to more obscure acts, such as Bon Iver. Every appearance feels meaningful and doesn’t detract from the song in any way, shape or form. They do, however, make the songs a very long length. The average song length for this album is between 5-6 minutes, the albums total running time being 70 minutes. This makes each and every song feel epic and powerfully moving.

In conclusion, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is many things. It’s extremely dark. It’s wonderfully twisted and, most importantly, it is one of the most beautiful works of music to be released in the 21^st century.

5/5

Winnie the Pooh (2011) Film Review

It certainly is refreshing to see a traditional, hand drawn film that manages to stay true to the original formula and not to commit the offence that most animated features do nowadays, which is to be littered with pop culture references. This film is not a blockbuster. It’s not in 3-D. It doesn’t have CGI animation either. This is a humble film, confident in its ability to keep both younger and older audiences entertained.

The performances are all done extremely well. Jim Cummings does a fantastic job with both the ever-hungry Pooh and ever-bouncy Tigger (as he has done since The Tigger Movie) and John Cleese’s voice makes for a warm and welcoming narrator. My personal favourite performance however, has to go to Craig Ferguson as Owl. Owl is still the “intellectual” he’s always been, and this “intelligence” is the drive for most of the main plot elements.

The film is, in many ways, a love letter to fans of the original The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It has all the classic characters (no heffalumps) and tells a short story with no real climax and great musical numbers, just like the original.

The formula for the plot is similar to what’s been seen before, but what keeps it from feeling repetitive are the surreal and witty jokes made throughout the film. Each character’s trademark personality is used to form and strengthen the surprisingly sophisticated jokes, which leads to many “laugh out loud" moments.

The songs and their sequences are spectacularly animated and imaginative, the best example being the song Everything is Honey and it’s sequence, which feels very trippy. Another impressively surreal sequence is that of The Backson Song, in which the entirety of the song’s performance is displayed with moving chalk drawings. The re-imagining of the intro song to the original film is also noteworthy for its nostalgia factor.

In conclusion, Winnie the Pooh is a short, nostalgic gem of a film. If you love Winnie the Pooh, classic hand-drawn animation or are looking for an animated film that does not rely on CGI and pop culture references, then look no further than this beautiful film.

4/5