Day 11: Modern Masterpieces

Thursday, April 28, 2011

DAY 11, MOVIE 1:

The Departed (2006), directed by Martin Scorsese. Oh, there is so much to say about this movie. This is yet another movie I have seen countless times. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies, in my top 50. It’s easily one of Scorsese’s five best films he’s ever made, I’m happy he finally won his much-deserved Oscar for this movie. I remember after I first saw this movie I was constantly raving about it. Every single actor does a great job with the material given. But I’d have to say Matt Damon is the standout in my eyes, as he plays the product of the mind of a criminal genius, who goes undercover in the Massachusetts state police. He plays the part perfectly, faking his allegiance to the police, but knowing his true loyalty is to crime boss Jack Nicholson. But the real star of The Departed is director Martin Scorsese. As always, he proves his mastery of the craft of film, balancing the two stories of the undercover cop, and the undercover mobster. Each shot in the movie is composed with great care; every frame is easy on the eye. I can play this whole movie in my head, the shots are that good. The soundtrack is also great; I don’t think Scorsese has any problem fitting in the music he likes into the movies he makes (he uses The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter three times. Twice in the same scene even!). And as for the score: how was that score not nominated for an Oscar? It added the write amount of intensity and emotion to each scene, and those guitar notes will stay in your head for a long, long time. I have nothing but praise for this film. This one will stand the test of time.

DAY 11, MOVIE 2:

The Social Network (2010), directed by David Fincher. 2010 had a couple of really good movies. Although I wouldn’t place it at the top of my list, The Social Network may be the movie from 2010 which I’ve watched the most. There is a lot to love about this movie, but the highlight to me is Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg. In my opinion, Eisenberg got robbed at the Oscars. Out of the five nominees for best actor, none of them had to take on the task of bringing a character as complex as this to life. At first glance, his character my only be an interpretation of the real Mark Zuckerberg, but I don’t think that’s true. I don’t see his performance as a portrayal of Zuckerberg himself, but rather a reflection of Zuckerberg’s creation, and its effect on modern society: emotionally distant, isolated, and detached. Playing someone who is still alive is a major challenge for an actor, but I think Eisenberg, along with the filmmakers, made the right choice for him to play Zuckerberg in such a way that every audience member has their own interpretation of his personality.