Film and Literature Review

arts & culture

Film Review

Charles Peck

The Social Network

The collaborative efforts of David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin surprised the masses (myself included) this past year by delivering a truly original cinematic experience in The Social Network. Based on Ben Mezrich’s work of nonfiction The Accidental Billionaires, the film follows the phenomenal story of renowned Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg in the dawning and wake of his triumphant empire; taking note of each legal hindrance and social dynamic which follows suit.

What truly makes The Social Network noteworthy cinema is its lead himself (played by Jesse Eisenberg), whose actions and interactions, whether true-to-life or not, seem (and captivatingly so) human in light of his often unsentimental behavior.

Fincher does a great job of unveiling the mysterious Zuckerberg and the genius behind his innovation along the way; all the while managing to instill, in equal measure, both reasons to love and hate the twenty-something to a point of uncertainty which resonates among the viewer long after the film’s end. The Social Network should not only prove notable to its age for its subject material, but for its embodiment of the modern drama.

The Darjeeling Limited (Criterion)

Wes Anderson’s most recent live-action film, released in 2007, stars Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman as three brothers on a quasi-spiritual journey through rural India via the Darjeeling Limited locomotive.

Featuring Anderson’s classic family-tension infused humor and magnificent attention to detail in each setting, Darjeeling proves to be not only another Anderson classic, but a beautiful film whose recent Criterion treatment is both well-deserved and well done. The Criterion Collection edition features a new high-definition digital transfer approved by the director; the prelude to the film, entitled Hotel Chevalier, which features an eloquent lover’s quarrel between Schwartzman and Natalie Portman; audio commentary from Anderson and cowriters; and, perhaps most noteworthy, a featurette regarding the film’s fantastic music selection (Satyajit Ray and the Kinks) lead by Wes Anderson and fellow filmmaker James Ivory.

The film’s stark contrast of new West and old East throughout becomes tangible in this reissue, bringing the majesty and mysticism of India to a world which sees far too little of it.

Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky’s most recent effort is a visually striking, psychological thriller, which, like its characters themselves, portrays a world of madness, which all too often accompanies the facade of beauty. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a chaste ballerina who gains the role of both black and white swans in her ballet company’s production of Swan Lake.

While the role of the white swan comes naturally for Nina, her innocence proves to be a hindrance for her embodiment of the black swan, a role perhaps better understood by her rival Lily, played by Mila Kunis. Aronofsky examines the mental deterioration of Nina as she attempts to both outdo her competitors and herself, leading the young ballerina deep into a a world of confused reality and hallucination.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the film is its rigorous application of sex into the story, which some might accuse of being unnecessary or in bad taste. Yet, from an artistic standpoint, it seems as if Aronofsky’s use of such contentious material truly aids the psychological transformation of Portman’s role and does more than just entice a male audience. Riddled with recurring motifs of color, light, and mood, Aronofsky has proven to be a refreshing auteur whose films will likely stand the test of time.

Winter’s Bone

Winner of the coveted Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Winter’s Bone follows seventeen year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), sole caretaker of two younger siblings and a deranged mother in a dirt poor town in the Ozarks. After learning that her meth-making, fugitive father has posted their home and land as collateral for his bail, Ree is forced to track him down amidst the dangerous Ozark community in an attempt to save what little possessions they have.

Thrilling from start to finish, director and screenwriter Debra Garnik portrays a world seemingly outside of time and untouched by the marvels of the twenty-first century, which is both refreshing and innovative for contemporary filmgoers. What really makes the film stand out, however, is the emotion which resonates upon the grit and grime constantly confronting the headstrong, selfless Ree, whose perseverance proves to be perhaps the greatest testament of human strength. Combined with the striking visual perspectives created by Garnik, Winter’s Bone might be the most intimate portrait of a world completely neglected by majority of its fellow countrymen.

Literature Recommendations

Gene Stroman

The Dharma Bums

Jack Kerouac If you’re reading this review, then without doubt you’ve heard of Jack Kerouac, the coolest cat ever to lay a story onto the page. A Father of the Beat Movement, Kerouac is best known for his monumental On the Road, which is allegedly one of the most important American novels of the Century. Dharma Bums, like most of Kerouac’s oeuvre is autobiographical, which is one of the many reasons his work is so compelling. This story in particular is about his time in the mid-50s, traveling the West Coast and taking up interest in spiritual enlightenment through Eastern Philosophy. Along the way, he meets a handful of interesting characters, including the unforgettable Japhy Ryder, Jack’s poet friend and Buddhist teacher. This book is an introduction to early hipster culture, to eastern philosophy, to the rucksack wanderer. It’s poetry, it’s jazz, and best of all it’s a very enjoyable, light read.

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro Kazuo Ishiguro is one of Britain’s most prized contemporary authors. You may recognize the name from his heralded Remains of the Day, which eventually was made into a movie starring Anthony Hopkins. Without giving too much away, Never Let Me Go takes place in a dystopian society where scientific capacity has improved to a point where ethics and morality must be completely reconceived. The story follows three classmates at Hailsham boarding school, where students’ futures are already set out for them. Ishiguro’s story tracks the difficult relationships between his characters, painting a delicate and heartbreaking portrait of the human condition. This was a perfect pick for the book club as it allowed for a discussion not only about the book but also about human nature altogether. Also adapted into a movie starring Keira Knightley (read the book first!), this masterpiece is highly recommended as a book with a huge twist that will really make you think.

The Master and Margarita

Mikhail Bulgakov The basic plot of Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita is pretty much all you’ll need to be convinced that reading this book is worthwhile: Satan and his retinue (including his vodka-loving cat Behemoth) decide to drop in and turn the Soviet Union upside down. Bulgakov parallels the story of a great writer and his beloved Margarita in Soviet Russia with a reinvented tale of Jesus and Pontius Pilate. Said to be one of the greatest books to come out of the 20th Century (also one of my all-time favorites), The Master and Margarita is a great satire of power and corruption and an analysis of good and evil. A great and enjoyable read even on the surface, this book could be read over and over and should be discussed for the sheer amount of allegory and symbolism Bulgakov so masterfully created.

Where I’m Calling From: Selected Stories

Raymond Carver If you’re unfamiliar with modern short story master Raymond Carver, then Where I’m Calling From is the perfect place to begin. The last collection to be published before his abrupt death in ’88, Where I’m Calling From contains 38 brilliantly simplistic, contemplative, and downright sorrowful stories about people just like you and me. Carver had a keen consciousness for the misery found in ordinary situations and a great skill for translating it into concise packages, much like Hemingway. This collection contains many of Carver’s greatest stories from the breadth of his career, including the piece from which the book was named and the memorable What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The content is easily identifiable, even if you’re not a drinker or a fisherman. If you enjoy his short fiction, do yourself a favor and check out his poetry, which unfortunately goes largely unnoticed and, in my opinion, lives up to the acclaim of his stories.

Birds of America: Stories

Lorrie Moore Another author I would have missed if it weren’t for the book club, Lorrie Moore has a voice that shines through the cluttered mass of contemporary literature. Among several other well received short story collections and novels, Birds of America is one of her most celebrated. While I often find it difficult to discuss a collection of short stories, these twelve in particular have a great cohesiveness. The downtrodden characters in this collection all seem to have some sort of melancholic restlessness in which they are unable to break from the state of inertia they find their lives in. Lorrie Moore has the grace and wit to present seemingly mundane situations in a manner that is both heartbreaking and thought provoking, much like Raymond Carver. What sets her apart from the multitude of minimalist short story writers is that she manages to bring a sort of inventive dark humor to the table. Highly recommended.