Reviews by Matt

I had an interesting experience this past weekend. It started on Saturday. I went to a friend’s house and watched “Let The Right One In,” the Swedish vampire movie that was released a few years ago. I had seen it before and one of my other friends had not. We wanted to go see the American remake, “Let Me In,” but he insisted on watching the original first. So on Sunday we went to see “Let Me In” with the original very fresh in mind.

“Let Me In” takes place in New Mexico in the winter of 1987. Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a bullied 12-year old who lives with his mother in an apartment complex. One night he meets Abby (Chloe Moretz) who has just moved in to the apartment next to Owen. The two strike up a friendship and meet nightly out in the courtyard and talk. Abby, though, has a horrible secret and it may be connected to the murders that have been happening in the town recently.

There are things that were in “Let The Right One In” that were taken out of “Let Me In” that made it better. Then again there were some things that “Let Me In” added that made it not so good. Overall though, I really enjoyed it.

I thought that Chloe Moretz did a great job, she was not as creepy as Lina Leandersson’s Eli was in the Swedish version, but Moretz still brought something to the character. She made Abby more sweet than creepy, which made the scenes of her attacking people all the more horrific.

I am not sure how I feel about Kodi Smit-McPhee’s Owen. Much like Kåre Hedebrant’s Oskar, Owen is picked on at school, his home life is hard because his parents are not together and he finds himself very lonely most of the time. It is through is relationship with Abby that he finds the strength to stand up to the bully. I think Smit-McPhee does a pretty good job playing this character, but I am not sure I am totally sold on it.

So back to my story. It was weird sitting in the theater and seeing a movie I had not seen before, but know so well. There are a lot of lines and scenes taken right from the original version. It was so similar to the original that the only real difference between the two versions was the subtitles. It is kind of surreal to sit in a theater and know a movie so well. I knew what was going to happen in each scene and even some of the lines. One thing I did notice was that this version was bloodier. I know why too, Americans as stupid and need things spelled out for us, even in blood. There was a subtly to the Swedish version that I liked. There was no need for the blood or the violence, it was implied and that was almost better than seeing Abby tear into someone’s neck to get the blood she needs to survive.

8/10
Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation
Runtime 116 min

Every now and then while I am perusing the movie news websites, something catches my eye. It could be some new casting news, the announcement of a sequel or remake, or a brand new project from an actor/director I like. Then there are those things that make me say “WHAT!” That is usually followed by, “There is no way that you can make a movie about that!” Well one of those was the announcement that there was going to be a movie based on Facebook.

Over the next few months it became clearer, the movie was going to be based on Ben Mezrick’s “The Accidental Billionaires.” Then when it was revealed that Aaron Sorkin would be writing the script and David Fincher would be directing it, I was a little more willing to see this as a potentially great movie.

This being my third attempt to write a summery, I will keep it simple. Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenburg) is being sued.
Twice over. In one case, his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) is suing him for cutting him out of the company they both created, Facebook. In the other, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer) and Divya Narenda (Max Minghella) are suing Mark because they say he stole Facebook from them.

There was a time where I would have never paid money to see this. As it stands, I don’t really like Facebook that much.
Sure, I still use it, but more because it is there, not because I need to. It could go away tomorrow and I would not be affected. The point being, a movie about Facebook was not exactly high on my list of movies to see. Then more details emerged and I had a sudden interest in it.

I think that everyone involved with this did a fantastic job. Eisenburg shows he is not just the poor man’s Michel Cera. He gives a great performance and gives Zuckerburg these great little quarks that make him likeable, even when he is being a jerk. Garfield, who was recently cast as the new Spider-Man, is great too. Saverin is Zuckerburg’s best friend. He is rightfully angry when his stock in the company is cut. Garfield has the hard job of playing someone who is suing Mark, but is also defending him in another lawsuit. It is a delicate balance that Garfield has to tread and he nails it. I even think Justin Timberlake, who plays Napster founder Sean Parker, is great at the one who tears up the Zuckerburg-Saverin friendship. For what little she was in it, Rooney Mara, who was cast as Lisbeth in the American adaptation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” did a good job.

I have to say that I am surprised and not so surprised at how this movie did at the box office. On one hand you have the fact that it is about Facebook. There are people who use the site who are going to see it just for that fact. I am surprised because this is not really their type of movie. It is all talk—and great talk at that. Nothing blows up, there are no huge stars. Long and short of it is that there is nothing that should appeal to that group at all.

This is a great movie. See it in the theater if you wish, but it would also make a great rental—plus that is WAY cheaper.

9/10
PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language
120 min