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The Social Network starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer

Posted on October 21, 2010 Written by ripitup

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The Social Network starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer
The Social Network starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake and Armie Hammer. A David Fincher Film.

The Makers and The Actors

The Social Network tells the story of Facebook. When I saw the trailer, I wasn’t all that impressed. I didn’t think watching the movie would be any more fun than reading a well-written non-fiction book about how Facebook started and became this huge phenomenon. But I had an invitation to see the movie, and I was a little intrigued. I mean, David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button…) was directing it.

When the opening credits rolled, I was even more intrigued. It was co-produced by the Oscar-winner producer Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, The Truman Show…). The executive producer was (twice) Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, The Usual Suspects, The Life of David Gale, Pay it Forward, 21…). The music was composed by Trent Reznor- a.k.a Nine Inch Nails, an industrial/electronic rock/metal singer/band. I really like Jesse Eisenberg’s acting (The Squid and The Whale, The Hunting Party). And among all these credentials, there was Justin Timberlake as an actor, in a Fincher movie. Well, as annoyed as I am by him as a singer, he doesn’t bug me much as an actor.

The Plot

Right after the opening scene, we are told most of the story in flashbacks as the present time is split between the two lawsuits Mark is facing. One from former best friend Eduardo and from two other Harvard students he was supposed to do business with. Both lawsuits are currently being handled in meetings with the lawyers.

Harvard undergrad, computer programmer Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is a very smart, talkative and arrogant young man with less than impressive social or romantic skills. It is these qualities that get him dumped by his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara). So he gets drunk, blogs rudely about her and gets the idea to compare all the university girls he can find the pictures of in the internet, makes into a website called Face Mash and sends it to other male students. His helper is his best friend, Harvard Economics undergrad Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).

This ends up crashing Harvard’s servers, giving Jesse a bad name academically and well, among girls. But two Harvard students – rich, successful and athletic Winklevoss twins Cameron and Tyler (both played by Armie Hammer) are impressed with what Mark is capable of. They, along with their best friend and business partner Divya (Max Minghella) offer him a gig. They want to create a social network for Harvard students. They have the idea, plans and the means and they need the creative programming of Mark. He accepts, but he already has a bigger idea on his own. A much better enhanced network, better than Friendster and Myspace. He needs the funding of Eduardo, so he offers him a partnership and makes him the CFO. He delays meetings with the Winklevosses and buries himself in making The Facebook (it had a “the” in the beginning)It becomes a huge hit, pissing off the Winklessvoss twins and Divya. They try to agree on an action to take and in the mean time, Eduardo and Mark are enjoying a popularity they never had before. They even enhance the network by integrating a couple of other universities. So Eduardo wants to monetize the popularity but Mark isn’t sure yet. This difference in opinion will only get more complicated as Napster’s inventor Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) loves the idea and meets them. Mark is fascinated by Sean’s reputation and attitude, while Eduardo hates his guts from the very beginning.

From then on, we see how The Facebook becomes Facebook, becomes bigger with Sean’s connections and eventually ruining the friendship of Eduardo and Mark, as the lawyers of each party try to prove their client has the right to the riches of this network, which has become universal in the process…

The result:

Well, it is pretty outstanding. It is a dialogue-heavy drama, yet the characters and their lines are intruging, interesting and everything happens so fast, you don’t get the chance to get bored even for a second during the movie’s 2 hours. The acting is just right and I have to say even Timberlake makes a decent Sean. It is a drama with its quite quirky funny moments and entertaining events. It is a must-see. While I wouldn’t go as far as to land the movie in IMDB’s top 250 films ever made, I have to say it has to be one of the best true events-based stories ever written and made. It was based on Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires and adapted to the screen by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, Charlie Wilson’s War, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The West Wing, The American President, Malice…), another influential name in the movie credits.

If you have anything to do with internet – it doesn’t matter whether you are a social media enthusiast, internet marketer, business owner, entrepreneur or you just like to use Facebook, see this movie. If you are a Fincher fan, see what he can do with this kind of story.

7.8 on IMDB. (updated on January 1st, 2015.)

Favorite Lines:

Gage (lawyer of Winklevosses) : Mr. Zuckerberg, do I have your full attention?
Mark Zuckerberg: [stares out the window] No.
Gage:  Do you think I deserve it?
Mark Zuckerberg: [looks at the lawyer] What?
Gage: Do you think I deserve your full attention?
Mark Zuckerberg: I had to swear an oath before we began this deposition, and I don’t want to perjure myself, so I have a legal obligation to say no.
Gage: Okay – no. You don’t think I deserve your attention.
Mark Zuckerberg: I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try – but there’s no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention – you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing.
[pauses]
Mark Zuckerberg: Did I adequately answer your condescending question?

**

Other Jesse Eisenberg Movies

Cursed starring Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson & Jesse Eisenberg

The Hunting Party starring Richard Gere, Terrence Howard and Jesse Eisenberg

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: aaron sorkin, andrew garfield, armie hammer, ben mezrich, David Fincher, drama, Eduardo salverin, Facebook, jesse eisenberg, justin timberlake, Kevin Spacey, Mark Zuckerberg, Max Minghella, movies, rooney mara, scott rudin, the accidental billionaires, the social network, the social network movie, trent reznor, winklevoss

Moon starring Sam Rockwell

Posted on April 4, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Moon starring Sam Rockwell
Moon starring Sam Rockwell. Image via: christybharath.files.wordpress.com

Some time in the future, astronaut Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is stationed on the moon. The world’s energy problem has been solved with helium-3 and it is massively available on the moon. Sam is alone in his station except for his talking computer Gerty (voice by Kevin Spacey). He is approaching the end of his 3 year-contract with Lunar Industries and he can’t wait to go home to his wife and baby daughter.However, he starts having problems. He starts imagining things. And outside the station, he has an accident. When he wakes up back at the station, he is in for a massive surprise….

I wish I could write more but anything else will be giving spoilers. The truth is, it is safe to say the movie really begins after Sam wakes up in the infirmary. The first scenes of the film are used to show the surroundings, get to know Sam and his mission. While it is not boring, the pace is slow. But after Sam wakes up, it is one intriguing revelation after another.

Sam Rockwell is almost the only actor and he has done fascinating job at keeping your interest and winning your empathy.

I’m not the biggest sci-fi fan, but when a movie is good, you have to give its due. See it.

Directed by Duncan Jones. Screenplay by Nathan Parker.

8.0 on IMDB, voted by over 40.000 people. Yeah, I am not the only one who liked it.

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: drama, Duncan Jones, Kevin Spacey, Moon, moon movie, Nathan Parker, Sam Rockwell, sci fi, thriller

21 starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey: It’s Vegas, baby!!!

Posted on October 8, 2009 Written by ripitup

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I am not comfortable with the notion of gambling yet I love Vegas. I have never been yet and if I have enjoyed a movie, I really feel th urge to visit the city where it was shot. The bright lights, casinos, hotels, the colors, the excitement. I know I said I am not comfortable because well, I have two good reasons. One, I have an addictive personality – my addictions include rock n’ roll, movies,writing,coffee,cocktails,chocolate,dancing -and I am guessing if I like gambling half as much as I like the stuff I listed above, boy I’m in big trouble. And second, I don’t have much money. So the notion of the possibly of losing what little I have is well, alarming. But I really want to go to Vegas and go crazy for a couple of nights…Oh,yeah: we have 21 to blame.

21poster

I don’t want to go all emotional here but some movies hit closer to home. Of course 21 is not exactly a emotional movie. It has some emotional moments about the lead character Ben. But overall, it is based on the real life story of five MIT students who regularly went to Vegas, counted the cards and made some serious cash. I don’t know how much the movie sticks to the real story,but the storyline goes something like this:

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess)  is an excellent student.He is about to graduate from MIT with honors to continue to Harvard Medical School. Although his qualities are perfect, he has one gigantic problem: he doesn’t have the insane tuition amount. The fees add up to $300,000. His only chance to go to the school he has been accepted to is to get a scholarship.But the scholarship will only be granted to one student and it will all depend on the extraordinary essay he is going to write about his life- except there is nothing even remotely exciting about his life. All his life, he has worked hard and been the amazing student. But he makes one good impression on the one guy that he is going to change his life forever: his Professor Mickey (Kevin Spacey). Mickey is secretly managing a unique group of students from MIT. Together they practice on perfecting a team play. Mickey is reluctant to join them at first but ultimately he doesn’t have much choice. And then the time of his life begins. Luxurious hotel suits, pretending to be someone else every time they play, the thrill, the chemistry growing between him and his team player/his big crush Jill (Kate Bosworth), ludicrous shopping rounds, oh and a danger they are not noticing: the seasoned yet smart head of security Cole (Laurence Fisburne) .

Of course complications occur when he neglects his best friends, and he has a big fall out with his professor. The thing is Mickey doesn’t play nice when he thinks he is crossed…And yet that is exactly when the real adventure begins…

The movie has been directed by Robert Luketic who recently directed The Ugly Truth (2009). Despite having loved it, I have to stay this movie beats any other movie he has done. Rom-com is one of my favorite genres and Robert is good. But if you want to see him direct something more different and definitely more intriguing, watch 21.

We all need money to make our dreams come true. And I need a similar amount of money-at least- to start my own dream school program. The idea to try your hand in Vegas when all else fails makes sense. But then again, I am no math genius, I don’t go to MIT and I can’t count cards. Not to mention, I am not a fan of the Vegas’ casinos’ security systems and the measures taken when you get caught. Of course my knowledge on the subject is based on what Hollywood tells me, yet somehow I am not inspired to challenge that…

Watch 21. It is fun.It is exciting. It makes your fantasies come alive through a character you can easily identify yourself with. I might be neither able nor willing to cheat, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to play.

for the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzZX2aN3I0

21-movie-interna;

21

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: 21, 21 the movie, crime, drama, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Las Vegas, Laurence Fishburne, movies, Robert Luketic

Matthew McConaughey : Wanna see him act? I have the movie for you…

Posted on August 15, 2009 Written by ripitup

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matthew mcconaugheyMjEx

It is sad to admit that Matthew McConaughey is probably the symbol of anti-diversity (I’m not even sure if this is a word but you get the point). I hadn’t even conciously thought about it until I saw a  funny blog post about his romantic comedies, the latest being Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. The post was about how all his movies and their posters were alike. Although romantic comedies might follow a certain formula, they follow (almost) different routes on how characters get to be together in the end. The similarity of the posters, though, make me laugh. You can check out the link below:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/matthew-mcconaugheys-next-10-movies/

However, I am not sure I would go that far to thrash the guy. Because frankly, his name does attract me to a romantic comedy. It is not that I’m expecting much, but I like his presence. Yes, it feels like he is playing the same character a lot. And yes, he doesn’t change his appearance either- (a part from the awful haircut he wore in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past- and that straight cut made him look old and kind of unattractive) . But if you don’t think he can act and/or he is just a pretty face, go see A Time to Kill. It is a John Grisham adaptation; and it is a beautiful movie. And trust me, Grisham is my favorite author and I hate the movies that don’t do his work justice. But it is a powerful movie, and Matthew is brilliant there. I’ll get back to this movie shortly.

The post I gave the link of above, also thrashes Kate Hudson. A friend of mine had the same complaint about her: that she can’t act; that she plays the same character in the same lousy way over and over again. But then again, how many ways are there to play similar, two-dimensional characters? Maybe, they really find the paychecks too nice to turn down the roles. Maybe they love the work that doesn’t challenge them. Or maybe they are simply not offered scripts that help them bring out their potential. Remember, Hudson had been nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in Almost Famous. Hollywood is a tricky place to be in. I never see anyone doubting Gary Oldman’s talent. Yet even he has complained that he is hardly offered scripts that he loves.

And as for romantic comedies, why shouldn’t we have them? Where there is demand, there has to be supply. Economics 101, guys! Of course not all the examples of the genre are good. But they help you escape real life problems and it is nice to watch lives that are easily sorted out for a change.

Now, if you want to see Matthew act; and act him well at a good drama at that:

636_atimetokill

Plot: Mississippi,1990s. Two rednecks rape a 10 year-old, African American girl. They are arrested but there is a chance they might not get a life sentence or even get away with it. The father loses it, and kills the men on the trial day. Now the father is the defendant. He is defended by his white lawyer friend Jake (McConaughey). You are with the father all the way. The thing so powerful about the story is, it feels so real. It kicks you in the gut. Because John Grisham based it on a real life case. You see, Grisham himself is a lawyer. One day at court, he is hearing in on a similar case- a little girl has been raped. John is a father too, so he puts himself  in the father’s shoes, not being able to help it. And he thinks that he would want to shoot them down- and he probably would try. The story is gripping. Yet Grisham added another conflict by making the criminals white, and the victims Black; adding inevitable racism issues. The fact that the man’s lawyer also has a family- a wife and a little girl- and they get threatened by racist groups does not make things easier…Oh and of course the morality issues. Is it OK to take matters into your own hands? Hell, it is easy to give a lecture on what is right or wrong unless it is personal.

Go see A Time to Kill. You have seen the cast on the poster: Sandra Bullock (Jake’s assistant), Samuel L. Jackson (the father), Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey ( as the District Attorney) and Ashley Judd (as Jake’s wife).  And let’s keep our fingers crossed that Matthew acts in more movies like this…

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: A Time to Kill, Ashley Judd, Gary Oldman, John Grisham, Kate Hudson, Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

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