The Social Network

Every year a movie comes along that has the right cast, the right screenplay, and the right soundtrack. Throw in a director that knows what he is doing and you have the Best Picture of 2010. That’s right I am putting my reputation on the line by saying this movie will win Best Picture. The Social Network is about the founders of the social-networking website, Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg, who was in Zombieland, gives an Oscar worthy performance as Mark Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake who plays the man who started Napster, Sean Parker, is good at playing Justin Timberlake. Word is that he should be nominated for an Oscar but he’s barely in the movie and he’s acting like himself, a wise ass who looks out for only himself regardless of who he steps on i.e: gets with Cameron Diaz then dumps her in order to get Shrek money, teams up with Janet Jackson for the Superbowl and takes zero blame when her blouse comes off, etc, etc. You can tell I like J.T. right?
Anyway this movie also gives you an inside look into Harvard and how some of the brightest people in the world can be idiots due to not having street smarts.
If you hate documentaries you will have an issue with this movie but you must see it for its great filmmaking. It reminded me of the classic Citizen Kane where at the end of the movie all that Kane REALLY cared about other than millions of dollars was when he was a child riding his snow sled Rosebud. Mark Zuckerberg and this movie have parallels to Citizen Kane.
Trent Reznor, who used to be a rock star in the band Nine Inch Nails, did the soundtrack which was good and the movie ends with one of my favorite Beatles song from Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Verdict:
The Social Network is this generation’s Wall Street movie. Best movie of the year. Oscars should go to Jessie Eisenberg and Director David Fincher.

Catfish

Any normal person will be able to figure out how the story ends 5 minutes into the movie.
The critics are wrong! I am never good at figuring out how a movie ends and this was no problem. So why is everyone saying that this is a great movie?? Catfish is a documentary involving a man being filmed by his friends as he builds a romantic relationship on the social networking website Facebook with an attractive girl, and the mysterious results when they all go to visit her.
If you already know how the movie is going to end then you will be HUGELY (is that a word?)disappointed. Anyway it was BORING and there is not much more to say about this movie.

Verdict:
Awesome word of mouth = Poor movie.

Wall Street 2: The Audience Will Fall Asleep

Where do I begin with this review??? OK here we go…..I was at a movie premiere about 8 years ago and Oliver Stone was taking pictures in the lobby of the theater. He asked who I was as people took various pictures of us.
The point I am making here is that Stone didn’t know that I was not an actor or critic at the time. I was NOBODY. My point is that he is now in the back 9 of his career, he is out of touch.
That was 8 years ago and he still is out of touch. People who enjoyed the classic Wall Street that he made in his prime were waiting to see the villain Gordon Gekko come back to life. In Wall Street 2 Gecko doesn’t even show up. The Gecko character which Douglas won an Oscar for died back in the 80’s The Gekko you see in this movie is similar to Michael Coleone in Godfather 3. A weak man who doesn’t have fight left in him.
Let’s move on to casting. Who the hell told Stone that Shia LaBeouf would make a good Wall St. executive? He is not believable and his drama queen wife, Carey Mulligan who happens to be Gekko’s daughter, cries through 50 percent of the movie. She is HORRIBLE and you want to scream at the screen, “GIRL THE %#$@% UP!! David Byrne did some of the music in the original and Stone now lets him do the soundtrack for the entire movie. Big mistake! Music sounds dated and does not move the film along.

Verdict:
Stone needs to get back in touch with what audiences want to see. He was one of the great filmmakers back in the day and if someone is going to continue giving him money to make films they should at least get a good script.
In this movie The King, Gordon Gekko, is dead.