Rebecca Redshaw
Rebels in search of fortune, love and acceptance
Published on Wed, Feb 2, 2011 by Rebecca RedshawRead More Sofa Cinema
‘The Social Network’
2010
To be sure, Facebook.com has changed the Internet world. Maybe you created an account for business promotion or to communicate with your junior high football teammates or to correspond with your grandchildren living on the opposite coast. If you don’t have an account, you are no doubt at the very least aware of this cyber phenomenon.
“The Social Network” serves several purposes. The movie explains how the site came about. In spite of denials of the film’s accuracy by the billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg, Aaron Sorkin’s script is substantially correct. Woven around scenes of litigious hearings, the viewer gets to see how a college student might be motivated to create Facebook and the viewer also can witness the speed by which an idea can explode in the 21st century.
Pluses in the movie (other than Sorkin’s genius) include solid performances by Jesse Eisenberg as Mark and Andrew Garfield as his college friend and contributor Eduardo. A special nod goes to Justin Timberlake for delivering a compelling performance as marketeer extraordinaire Sean Parker.
Directed by David Fincher (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” ”Zodiac” and numerous music videos), “The Social Network” has great appeal for the social network set; however, other than the aforementioned pluses, I am baffled by the accolades being garnered for this movie in the film community. At best, it provides two hours of palatable information with occasional flashes of interest. Kind of like the Facebook site. Oh, now I get it.
‘Welcome’
2009
Looking north on a clear day, Victoria, British Columbia, is easily visible from Port Angeles. The distance of 21 miles is close to the distance from Calais, France, to Dover, England, although the water may be a bit rougher in the English Channel than in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The comparison offers a unique (and convenient) point of reference for the French film “Welcome.”
Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the past three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend who recently immigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped by authorities in Calais, on the French side of the channel. Left with no other alternatives, he decides to swim across.
He meets a swimming instructor and former champion, Simon, at the local pool. Whether Simon is swayed by his imminent divorce or his mid-life realization of his future, he agrees to help Bilal.
Subtitled and with the English dialogue difficult to understand at times, “Welcome” still draws the viewer in because director Philippe Lioret allows the story to unfold cinematically.
“Welcome” deals with relevant and complex issues in a seemingly simplistic way, but long after the end credits roll, you may find yourself questioning the validity of arbitrary borders, how far one would go to find purpose and the passion of a first love that knows no boundaries.
‘Rebel Without a Cause’
1955
The film business today is geared so much to the youth market it’s hard to imagine the impact of the 1955 classic “Rebel Without a Cause.” The box office success of “The Blackboard Jungle” and “The Wild One” and the impact of James Dean’s rise to stardom in his debut in “East of Eden” raised director Nicholas Ray’s feature from a “B” black-and-white film to a big budget, full-blown CinemaScope color release.
Ray’s original storyline went through many screenwriters and rewrites, adjusting to the tenor of the times. For instance, Jim Stark (James Dean), although a troubled youth, is from a middle-class family, not an impoverished teen from the wrong side of the tracks.
He lives in the same neighborhood as Judy (Natalie Wood) and just a scooter ride away from the upscale home of Plato (Sal Mineo), who is cared for by a live-in maid. Of course, the studio insisted on downplaying Judy’s questionable physical relationship with her father and Plato’s not so questionable homosexuality.
The plot is filled with teenage angst: a newcomer being bullied by others, searching for love and inclusion, wanting parents to understand. No wonder Jim’s anguish rings true even in 2011 when he says to his parents, “You’re tearing me apart!”
The tempo of the movie demonstrates the change of pace in filmmaking over 50 years. The “look” of the film is still impressive, although the melodramatic musical score is overkill. (Rather than remaking this entire film, one wonders if it might not hold up with a contemporary track.)
Much has been written about James Dean, his small volume of work and his untimely death at 24. “Rebel Without a Cause” offers a sample of his screen charisma and potential as an actor.
Rebecca Redshaw is an author and playwright who worked for 25 years in the film industry in Los Angeles. Copies of her book “SOFA CINEMA: An Easy Guide to DVDs” may be purchased at the Sequim Gazette. She can be reached at r2redshaw@hotmail.com.
2010
To be sure, Facebook.com has changed the Internet world. Maybe you created an account for business promotion or to communicate with your junior high football teammates or to correspond with your grandchildren living on the opposite coast. If you don’t have an account, you are no doubt at the very least aware of this cyber phenomenon.
“The Social Network” serves several purposes. The movie explains how the site came about. In spite of denials of the film’s accuracy by the billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg, Aaron Sorkin’s script is substantially correct. Woven around scenes of litigious hearings, the viewer gets to see how a college student might be motivated to create Facebook and the viewer also can witness the speed by which an idea can explode in the 21st century.
Pluses in the movie (other than Sorkin’s genius) include solid performances by Jesse Eisenberg as Mark and Andrew Garfield as his college friend and contributor Eduardo. A special nod goes to Justin Timberlake for delivering a compelling performance as marketeer extraordinaire Sean Parker.
Directed by David Fincher (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” ”Zodiac” and numerous music videos), “The Social Network” has great appeal for the social network set; however, other than the aforementioned pluses, I am baffled by the accolades being garnered for this movie in the film community. At best, it provides two hours of palatable information with occasional flashes of interest. Kind of like the Facebook site. Oh, now I get it.
‘Welcome’
2009
Looking north on a clear day, Victoria, British Columbia, is easily visible from Port Angeles. The distance of 21 miles is close to the distance from Calais, France, to Dover, England, although the water may be a bit rougher in the English Channel than in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The comparison offers a unique (and convenient) point of reference for the French film “Welcome.”
Bilal, a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee, has struggled his way through Europe for the past three months, trying to reunite with his girlfriend who recently immigrated to England. But his journey comes to an abrupt halt when he is stopped by authorities in Calais, on the French side of the channel. Left with no other alternatives, he decides to swim across.
He meets a swimming instructor and former champion, Simon, at the local pool. Whether Simon is swayed by his imminent divorce or his mid-life realization of his future, he agrees to help Bilal.
Subtitled and with the English dialogue difficult to understand at times, “Welcome” still draws the viewer in because director Philippe Lioret allows the story to unfold cinematically.
“Welcome” deals with relevant and complex issues in a seemingly simplistic way, but long after the end credits roll, you may find yourself questioning the validity of arbitrary borders, how far one would go to find purpose and the passion of a first love that knows no boundaries.
‘Rebel Without a Cause’
1955
The film business today is geared so much to the youth market it’s hard to imagine the impact of the 1955 classic “Rebel Without a Cause.” The box office success of “The Blackboard Jungle” and “The Wild One” and the impact of James Dean’s rise to stardom in his debut in “East of Eden” raised director Nicholas Ray’s feature from a “B” black-and-white film to a big budget, full-blown CinemaScope color release.
Ray’s original storyline went through many screenwriters and rewrites, adjusting to the tenor of the times. For instance, Jim Stark (James Dean), although a troubled youth, is from a middle-class family, not an impoverished teen from the wrong side of the tracks.
He lives in the same neighborhood as Judy (Natalie Wood) and just a scooter ride away from the upscale home of Plato (Sal Mineo), who is cared for by a live-in maid. Of course, the studio insisted on downplaying Judy’s questionable physical relationship with her father and Plato’s not so questionable homosexuality.
The plot is filled with teenage angst: a newcomer being bullied by others, searching for love and inclusion, wanting parents to understand. No wonder Jim’s anguish rings true even in 2011 when he says to his parents, “You’re tearing me apart!”
The tempo of the movie demonstrates the change of pace in filmmaking over 50 years. The “look” of the film is still impressive, although the melodramatic musical score is overkill. (Rather than remaking this entire film, one wonders if it might not hold up with a contemporary track.)
Much has been written about James Dean, his small volume of work and his untimely death at 24. “Rebel Without a Cause” offers a sample of his screen charisma and potential as an actor.
Rebecca Redshaw is an author and playwright who worked for 25 years in the film industry in Los Angeles. Copies of her book “SOFA CINEMA: An Easy Guide to DVDs” may be purchased at the Sequim Gazette. She can be reached at r2redshaw@hotmail.com.
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