In Review: Fall Releases

The Social Network
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
Release Date: October 1

4 out of 4 stars

Fine scriptwriting, keen directing and some stellar performances make The Social Network more than simply “a movie about Facebook”. Fincher’s film quite effectively portrays the banal journey of a bored Harvard student who becomes the world’s youngest billionaire without a single dull moment.

The film follows a semi-fictionalized account of Facebook’s creation and two lawsuits involving Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg.

Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland) stars as Zuckerberg, a sharp, intelligent but somewhat socially-stunted student who decides to build a website to socially connect university students after being pitched a similar idea by a couple of his peers — who become determined to hunt down Zuckerberg with accusations of stolen intellectual property once the site gains popularity.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg befriends Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the charming yet unsettling creator of Napster, and their partnership begins to create tension between Zuckerberg and his co-founder, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).

Though based on the non-fiction book The Accidental Billionaires, The Social Network’s brilliance owes much to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s script, filled with some memorably witty lines delivered perfectly by Eisenberg and characters with more than a sufficient amount of substance.

Fincher’s directing is top notch as usual and the musical score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross suits the darkly intriguing tone of the film to a tee.

The Social Network not only exists as an engrossing story about Facebook’s creation, but also takes the liberty of showcasing how a simple but brilliant idea, done correctly, can prove to be bigger than anyone could imagine.

Jackass 3D
Directed by: Jeff Tremaine
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius
Release Date: October 15

3 out of 4 stars

If the 18A rating of this film is not warning enough to the faint of heart and/or stomach, here is a brief idea of what you’re in for: projectile vomiting, urine, feces, nonsensical violence or a combination of the previously listed.

And as you’ve probably guessed, these things are utilized with 3-D technology to their utmost comedic potential.

Those familiar with the Jackass television show and two previous films will not be let down if they are expecting more of the same inane, stomach-turning, consistently hilarious stunts starring Johnny Knoxville and his motley crew of friends and celebrities, but the uninitiated will likely be in for a bit more male nudity than they’d expect.

In addition to the stunts, Jackass 3D also features several hidden camera segments, in which the Jackass team plays practical jokes on one another or unsuspecting bystanders.

Recurring characters and segments from the previous films and television show also make appearances in the film.

Rather than just complementing the background visuals, the use of 3-D in this film (especially in sequences filmed in slow motion) serves a much bigger purpose by taking the audience’s interaction with the film one step further and putting them uncomfortably closer to all of the things they’re content with just remaining on the screen.

The Jackass series is not for everyone, and this film is no exception. But if curiosity strikes and you want to know what a man flying a toy helicopter tied to his genitals looks like in 3-D, by all means see this film.