Friends With Benefits (2011)

4/5

Friends With Benefits has a fairly uninspired plot. Two twenty-somethings, Dylan (Timberlake) and Jamie (Kunis), decide to start a purely physical relationship after being dumped for being either emotionally absent or emotionally guarded. This being a romantic comedy made in Hollywood, you know how the entire story unfolds from the premise alone: one develops feelings for the other, they break up because of a mistake one of them makes, and eventually get back together and live happily ever after. Like it or not, that's the formula you're buying with your movie tickets.

Fortunately, this movie is probably the smartest it could have been given that preordained scenario thanks to pristine execution and delivery. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the acting believable and emotionally fulfilling (unlike the characters themselves), and the mood is appropriately adult (plenty of nude butts and four-letter words). I was surprised at how much I bought the film, which I think is a testament to the directing and the acting. I actually felt the emotions that the characters were going through, and to me that means the movie has succeeded. So despite the predictable plot, despite occasionally feeling like the simple message was beat into my head, I don't think there's much higher you can aim for in a film.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632708/

The Social Network (2010)

5/5

David Fincher's The Social Network is a vibrant, invigorating film filled with excitement and possibility. The movie chronicles the beginning of the new digital era of human interactions. It is not so much about the creator of Facebook as it is about the unrelenting, self-propelled technology that everybody is trying their best to keep up with. It is a classic story of how we as a society deal with each other, how we share stories, how we reveal our emotions. It tackles betrayal, regret, and love. The plot itself is based on two lawsuits launched against Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg). The first is by fellow Harvard undergrads Divya Narendra (Minghella) and the Winklevoss twins (Hammer) for stealing their idea, originally called Harvard Connection. The second is by best friend, co-founder, and CFO Eduardo Saverin (Garfield) for being written out of his share of stock options.

It is difficult to describe how compelling this movie is. The script is an absolute treasure. It unites fast-paced, witty, intellectual dialogue with important, ancient thematics. It is fresh and edgy and filled with electricity. The cinematography is beautiful and appropriately moody. The editing may be one of the most underrated aspects of this movie, but it is essential to its success. The story could have easily taken 3 hours, especially given Fincher's propensity for making movies longer than they need to be, but I'm thankful that they were able to edit it down to just 2 hours. It is expertly paced with only the essential ideas. And last but not least is the acting. It is spot-on. The characters are full and richly textured. You feel their pain and heartache and sorrow. You are enraptured by their vivacity and exhilaration. They are not just fascinating character studies. They are living and breathing people with the same unique talents and flaws that you love and hate about your friends and enemies.

And of course there is the subject matter. I wonder what it means that everybody who saw this movie went home and posted their thoughts about it on Facebook. People complained that this movie came out too soon: Facebook's role is still being sorted out. We are right in the middle of it and don't know how it will all play out in the end. But I think now is the best time to make and release this movie precisely because we are still in the thick of it. People said the same thing about 9/11 movies, but they remain some of the best and most memorable movies because they are tied to my memory of life events and contain universal themes. This movie is exactly the same. And while it may not have all the facts right and may be biased one way or another, it is a phenomenal story that is flawlessly told. It must be seen, and sooner rather than later.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

Edison Force (2005)

1/5

"Sometimes the most important questions are the ones you decide not to ask." Like why is the elite tactical squad full of insane crack addicts? Why is every single member corrupt? Why are they allowed to kill people on a whim? And on these flights of whimsy, why do they leave living witnesses? I guess you probably wouldn't ask important questions if you were retarded, which is exactly what this movie is. Maybe it's telling us not to question the gaping plot holes or Justin Timberlake's heinous "acting," but looking that deep into it is giving the movie too much credit. Besides everything (characters, plot, and plot holes) being rehashed from all the bad crime movies and none of the good ones, it is clearly set in another dimension. One in which things don't make sense. Do not watch this movie. It is not so bad that it is good; it is so bad that it is worse than the good that's below bad.

By far, this is the worst movie I have even been close to considering watching this entire year. Perhaps my entire life. The only saving grace was the one scene with Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman chit-chatting. I think they were just ad-libbing though.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389957/