Paranormal Activity 2
For those keeping score, Paranormal Activity was in my top 10 last year. A perfect blend of cinema verite and genuine chills, I adored it in a way I haven't adored a horror film in years. A sequel so soon screams "cash grab," so I was a bit dismayed to see them churn this sequel out. Thankfully, they seemed to have kept much of what made the original work. While I do have some major qualms (too much back story to explain how it connects to the first movie, no interesting characters, a feeling of been there, done that), it is still a frightening movie in its own right. I was on edge for most of the film, and the style still works wonders in creating fear. As you'd expect with a sequel, it never rises to the same level of horror as the first one, but there is at least one moment where it rivals the original for unexpected terror. Not great, but better than you'd expect considering the circumstances.
Jackass 3D
What an unexpectedly fun movie. I'm not really a fan of the Jackass crew, so I had no real hopes for this film, so color me surprised to find it as engaging as it is. These guys have so finely tuned their "craft" that they know precisely what to do and how to interact with each other in order to elicit the most extreme reactions from their audience. While there were some bits that simply don't work, the hit to miss ratio for this film was definitely much more on the hit side. Johnny Knoxville in particular has so much charisma that he can make even the most feces laden skit a winner. The use of 3D is also quite innovative, with the opening and closing credits real standout examples of how much fun you can have with 3D technology.
The Social Network
I struggled with how to put my thoughts on this film into writing, simply because it is so good. To say that literally every aspect of The Social Network is top notch doesn't do justice to this film. Everyone from David Fincher, to Aaron Sorkin, to the entire cast, to the editor and sound mixers, to Trent Reznor's score, to the seamless digital effects - I really do mean everyone is on top of their game here. I wouldn't have expected a film about the creation of Facebook to be very interesting, but it rises above a simple biopic to become a sort of document of the times we live in and how much our world has changed in the digital age. You've probably already read about how great Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Jesse Eisenberg are in this film, so I want to shine a light on the performance I found to be by far the best: Armie Hammer. Playing the role of twins perfectly, he was a revelation. He takes what would have been two villainous characters in the wrong hands and made them likable, honorable guys with endless charisma. He may not be the best part of this masterful film, but he is the part that has stuck with me the longest.
