In today’s technology-fueled society the Internet has become somewhat of second world in which we all connect. If you can’t be traced by a search inquiry by Google you might as well not exist. It goes without saying that if the Internet were, in fact, a world of its own Facebook would surely be the ultimate social medium in which pretty much everyone interacts. The phrase “Facebook me” has become so incredibly common that it’s fairly rare to hear people exchange phone numbers anymore. It is absolutely astounding how a site like this can go from birth to public institution in just 7 years. It is exactly this astounding phenomenon that has peaked accomplished screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and become the subject of his latest film, “The Social Network”.

              Sorkin’s most recent release tracks the creation and popularization of the social networking site by telling the story of the site’s creator, Mark Zuckerberg, who is played by Jesse Eisenberg. The story takes place as Zuckerberg is in the process of being sued by his former roommate and two of his former classmates. The plot unfolds as time jumps between present time and Zuckerberg’s college years. The story begins as the Harvard attendee is dumped by his then girlfriend who is tired of his obsession with the school’s final clubs, or prestigious societies of the student body, and whether or not he will get into one. In reaction to this news he creates a crass website that rates women based on their looks which becomes a rough basis for what would grow into the monolith social site.

            One of the elements that have added to films appeal is the incredible character development that is prevalent throughout the movie. It sets itself apart from many contemporary films with its moderately fair portrayals of all the characters. This movie shies away from polarizing its characters as there’s no one who is entirely evil or mean yet everyone has their own degrees of dislike. It all makes for a very realistic finish and is most likely one of the reasons “The Social Network” is such a notable film.

There is, however one character that hasn’t been well balanced in terms of development. The character of Mark Zuckerberg quickly becomes a polarizing figure throughout the film. Zuckerberg is portrayed as a brilliant misanthrope somewhat comparable to Dr House without the drug problem. He’s got very few friends due to the fact that he treats everyone in regards as to what they can do for him instead of treating them like human beings. It’s this that lands him the two lawsuits that create the movie’s setting. He is shown as somewhat of a mad genius who is so set on his vision that he has no time for mere personal relationships. Mark is given little to no redeeming qualities, which is an odd route to take when portraying a protagonist. 

While the attitude of the characters is incredibly impressive and at times polarizing, anyone who has seen the film will tell you that it’s the incredible dialogue that makes the film truly great. A good deal of the back and forth between characters is incredibly witty and quick, making for a movie that flows throughout without losing any energy. It’s as if writer, Aaron Sorkin used his dialogue to make up for a distinct lack of action sequences in order to tell his story. He creates memorable lines that help move the story along and keep the viewer interested. For example, as Zuckerberg talks in a legal meeting with two of the people that are suing him he says “I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try - but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention - you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing.” Its long intricate rants like this that Sorkin is famous for and one of the things that makes his writing so good.

Of course Sorkin’s work isn’t powerful enough to stand on its own, the absolutely amazing cast is what brings this movie to life. The brilliant performance by relative newcomer Andrew Garfield, who plays Zuckerberg’s early partner and friend, is really more like a second lead instead of that of a supporting actor. There’s the portrayal of the privileged, yet ambitious, Winklevoss twins who are both played by Armie Hammer and his body double. And then of course when it comes to playing the quirky geek there’s none better than Jesse Eisenberg. It seems like all of the larger actors were given the smaller roles, which is interesting in such a big budget film as this. NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” has lent Rashida Jones to play one of Mark’s lawyers, Justin Timberlake plays the rowdy creator of Napster, Sean Parker, even Aaron Sorkin himself makes a cameo as an ad exec.

While Sorkin often gets the spotlight for having written such great dialogue there really is credit due to the director, David Fincher, who’s no slouch. Responsible for such blockbusters as “Fight Club” or “The Curious Case of Benjamin” Button” there’s no wonder why this was such a highly anticipated film upon its release. The constantly seamless transitions between past and present make this film unique and interesting to watch. Overall the movie comes looking very clean and classy.

There is one major pitfall to this movie and that’s its ability to be compared to real life. When writing the movie Sorkin had two choices, he could either write a movie loosely based on Facebook that could exist purely in a realm of fiction or he could write a movie that is entirely based on Facebook that must be compared to reality. Now there is nothing wrong with either scenario but there are certain requirements and outcomes for each. The first scenario allows the viewer to watch the film as an objective piece of art; the latter however requires factual accuracy to hold the viewer. This is where the movie falls short.

We’ve all seen the real Mark Zuckerberg on television and in interviews and it is very hard to believe that this is the same ruthless misanthrope represented in the film. Another portrayal that is off is that of Sean Parker who is not, as the movie states, the founder of Napster but an early employee rather. Parker, played by Justin Timberlake, is portrayed as a rock star playboy who has a few screws loose upstairs. Chances are you’ve probably never seen Sean Parker but if you take the time to Google him you’ll find that he’s no more than your average nerd. Upon questioning about the movie's portrayal of him he said the movie was a complete work of fiction and that he wishes his life were that cool.

When word first started spreading that Hollywood was making a film about Facebook, the idea seemed almost absurd. It made zero sense as to why someone would make a film about something as meaningless as a website. After watching this film, however, one realizes that to our generation Facebook has grown into something more. Facebook is, for a lot of people, an extremely important tool in social interaction. It’s become exactly what the movie says Zuckerberg set out to do, that is to put the entire college experience online. The only thing is that Facebook has somehow surpassed containing the college experience and set out to capture the entire human experience. Today there are more that 500 million active users on Facebook who collectively spend 700 billion minutes per month logged in. This has far surpassed being “just a website”.

The Cheese Monkeys

The fact that today’s world is run entirely by technology is making the need for good graphic designers ever more pressing. It seems like everyone knows how to mess around with some sort of design program like Photoshop. No one really thinks about how people used to do it in back in the 50’s before the age of computers made it easily accessible. This is exactly what notable book designer Chip Kidd decided to show in his 2001 novel, “The Cheese Monkeys”.

The book takes place in a Midwestern University and follows a young student through his first year of Art School. Readers follow him as he tries to cope with his instructor’s demands for high quality design.

The way the book is narrated creates an aura that tows the line between drama and comedy while moving the story along in a way that just kind of flows. Its not just the story that’s interesting but he also teaches important lessons about graphic design throughout such as how to make people to notice design or how to make things more important than others.

Overall the book was highly enjoyable and every aspiring designer should be required to read it. It gives great insight into the profession while telling a highly entertaining story

Ferris Buellers Day Off

Think back to a time when your world was filled with crazy hairstyles, terrible music and a more than ridiculous taste in style. No I’m not talking about the 80s (well kinda) im talking about high school. It was a time when decisions were quick because consequences were mild at best.  These were things film legend John Hughes saw and captured wonderfully when making 1986’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.

It’s the story of a high school senior who skips school by faking sick and decides to hit the streets of downtown Chicago for one adventure-filled day him or his friends will never forget. The group sets off to do anything and everything the city life has to offer including participating in the Von Steuben Day parade and starting a city wide sing along of “Twist and Shout” .the It’s the movie that gave the careers of Matthew Broderick a much-needed leg up into life in the limelight.

The amazing thing about John Hughes isn’t that he wrote one of the most iconic teen comedies of all time it’s that he did it in a week. Starting on February 26th 1985 Hughes averaged about 20 pages per night and had entire screenplay done by March 3^rd.

 It’s a movie that became one of the many icons of a generation amongst various other Hughes movies. The 80’s were when he was on top of his game and will forever be known as the king of the teen movie genre.

Oh Inverted World

Every year great bands are created and exist in relatively under the radar, which sadly often leads to an early demise.  It’s a sad truth but it must happen for other bands to thrive. In 2006 The Shins were one of these bands that only the hardcore music geeks knew about. Enter Zach Braff’s love letter to New Jersey, “Garden State”,Which featured two songs from the band’s debut album, “Oh Inverted World”.  After the debut of the movie The Shins were boosted into the eye of popular indie music. It’s a shame that professional musicians almost have to get lucky to make it in the industry, however it’s great that this system has given us The Shins.

The bright tones of oh inverted world are what set it apart from the other albums that would be considered indie or alternative. While listening to the fluorescent whistles and guitar tones of songs like “Caring is Creepy” its almost as if a feeling of euphoria created amongst whatever mood you’re in. “Inverted World” is more than just another group of alternative songs, it’s more like a journey through a dream world that The Shins created when they released the album. The fanciful words of front man James Mercer speak to situations that many can relate to in the terms of love and loss, and is written in such a manner that one cant help but empathize with.

Luther

Detective chief inspector John Luther isn’t an eccentric genius who solves murder cases with his extraordinary gift. He doesn’t find the most miniscule piece of evidence from across the room due to his superhuman powers of observation, in fact at times he has trouble finding any incriminating evidence at all. He’s not cool and calculated and he’s often quite impulsive. Despite lacking the qualities that many prosperous crime dramas have banked on in previous years, the BBC’s “Luther” takes a different approach to the ever so popular cop show. Instead of the cookie cutter characters that one may be used to seeing on television, “Luther” humanizes its main character in a way that hasn’t been done before.

The series pilot finds John Luther pursuing a suspect responsible for a string of recent kidnappings. In the pursuit, the suspect meets a tragic end that DCI Luther could’ve stopped but didn’t out of spite. It picks up some time later as the investigation into the incident finds Luther innocent of all wrongdoing and back on the job, hunting for the killer of a man and his wife.  On top of the stress that his job offers, he’s also dealing with a plethora of relationship issues with his wife whom he’s been in a trial separation from.

On the outside it sounds like just another cop drama however with Idris Elba at the helm as Luther this character comes to life. You can see exactly how the stresses of John Luther’s life are being weighed upon him in his every action. Upon hearing of past you can sense the regret that he has for the wrongs he’s done in the past.  Elba brings a refreshing quality to the screen in a fictional character that’s not infallible and is flawed like the rest of us. He’s got good intentions but his mind wont always let him do the right thing.

Elba’s not the only cast member that stands out in his exceptional performance however. The mysterious and painfully intelligent Alice Morgan (played by Ruth Wilson) is about the farthest thing from ordinary as you could get. Morgan is a research scientist and a complete psychopath who has suddenly taken an interest in the life of DCI John Luther. She’s the most complex right after the main character. After watching, it’s confusing as to whether one should hate her for being the cold unfeeling person she is, or be fascinated by her sheer brilliance.

That’s not to say there are no pitfalls because the shows got plenty. “Luther” is riddled with the typical “cop show” clichés. Its got the over the top dramatic music, its got the intense boss that rides John’s ass when he crosses the line (which is always), the show even has the rookie partner who isn’t quite used to Luther’s questionable approach but grows to accept it over time. However it is almost as if the show embraces these overused dramatic elements and puts them to work to create a more interesting plot. This show knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to hide it one bit.

Devoted British television fans will notice a similar feel to that of another hit BBC law enforcement drama, Spooks. This is largely in part due to the fact that creator and writer of the show Neil Cross has contributed his skillful writing to a good deal of more recent episodes of the ongoing television program. Although Cross’ television reputation is fairly impressive it’s interesting that a vast majority of previous writing experience comes from novels, having published 8 books in the past.

Although the show has received average to less than favorable ratings the BBC has made the decision to bring back the show for another season in the form of two two-hour long specials. It seems as if the future of this show is up in the air regarding whether it will have a long and prosperous life or a short but glorious one.

Overall the show comes off cheesy or overdramatic in some parts but it’s the performance by the exceptional cast that really shines through. Although it does tend to follow some crime show clichés you’ll not be wasting your time on this British import. Luther may not be as flashy and clever as other dramas you may see but in a lot of ways it’s a great deal more interesting.

Aqua

There is a city that critics, art historians and average citizens alike will agree is at the top of the list regarding architecture in the United States. We are of course talking about the great city on the lake, Chicago Illinois. The city has brought forth works by such architectural greats as Rem Koolhaas, designer of the McCormack Tribune Center, the design firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White who’s works include the Field Museum and the Wrigley building, and of course the architectural mastermind Frank Lloyd Wright.

However if one were to journey to this fine city in recent times he or she’d be sure to notice a very out of place looking building rising up from the skyline. It’s called Aqua, and for good reason, its unique design makes it seem as if it simply rose from the waters of Michigan itself. Great white fins protrude from the buildings exterior and ripple throughout creating the illusion of waves on water. Standing at 859 feet this monolith looms over Millennium Park and gives one of the best views over Chicago’s south loop, the river and Lake Michigan. Also regarding height, a lot of attention has been given to the fact that this is the tallest building ever designed by a female.

Aqua was built and thought of with the environment in mind. For instance, the crazy curved balconies that give the building its unique look also aid in shielding the building from intense sunlight lowering cooling costs, an 80,000 square foot planted garden on its roof helps to reduce the heat island effect that plagues urban areas ever so often, they’ve even added aluminum columns that aid in keeping birds from flying into it. The developer has gone so far as to offer the city’s first electric vehicle charging station that is open to the public in its garage. On the inside the its unique looks and revolutionary design execution truly makes this building stand out amongst the many more geometric and straight-laced buildings that surround it.

The execution of these great ideas were challenging at times due to the buildings unique form. To create the wavelike effect on the sides of the building each floor plan had to be different. Even though computer modeling was used for the project its style still made things difficult. However its almost needless to say that something like this is going have hitches or hangups.

Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, a company in which she is also the founder, designed the building taking an early design of the 1.9 million square foot building from architect James Loewenberg and giving it life. She started her own firm in 1997 and has previously designed things such as an outdoor theatre in Rockford Illinois, a handful of houses in the Chicago area and the media production center for Columbia College Chicago. It’s not hard to see Gang’s contemporary style illustrated throughout the entirety of these previous works and future works alike.

This building is a breath of fresh air for Chicago, in more than one way in fact.
Of course there is on one hand the incredible amount of eco-friendly features that makes this building a great role model for how architecture should be in the future. On the other hand there is the look of Aqua that, at times, wants to mimic its surroundings with its great rippling waves yet tends to stick out from the other buildings that stand alongside it. When people in the past thought of how the future would and the way cities would progress, Aqua would fit in well amongst those visions.

Restrepo

Documentaries have always had the stigma of being boring and dull. It’s the nerd of the world of cinema so to speak, and when you’re going up against the extravagant plotlines and big budget effects of fiction film its fairly easy to see why. You have movies like Transformers where giant robots fight amongst clever cityscapes, or District Nine where aliens are fight for their way home. Even movies based on real life events are changed to amp up dramatic appeal. However the Oscar nominated documentary, Restrepo, is giving fiction film a run for its money. It has all of the drama and action of any one of these high budget films yet somehow maintains the incredibly raw realities of war.

            The film documents the year that filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington spent with a platoon of the 503rd Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army. In what was at the time considered by many to be the most dangerous area on earth, the Korengal Valley of northeast Afghanistan. It was the job of these soldiers to clear the area of insurgency while maintaining the trust and cooperation of the local population. Their posting, OP Restrepo (named after a fallen friend), is known to take fire from Taliban forces just about every single day. In conditions where getting shot at and taking lives is the norm mental states begin to fray, which becomes very apparent in the film.

            This documentary clearly illustrates all of the emotion and frustration that go along with living in a very high-risk area for a long period of time. It’s truly fascinating to watch these men carry on in conditions that most people wouldn’t be able to survive in, and in many cases a lot of people haven’t. In the movie one of the soldiers talks about the insomnia he’s suffering through, “I’ve been on about four or five different sleeping pills and none of them help, that’s how bad the nightmares are”.  This is the most real depiction of war we’ve had since the coverage of Vietnam back in the 60s and 70s.

            Even if Restrepo were a written film made with big budget effects and an entire team of writers it would still be just as good. The fact that your looking into the lives of actual people who are living and dying for their country takes the film to that next level of quality that not many films can stand up to.

LCD Soundsystem "This Is Happening"

             The age of the album is dead. This fact, as controversial and debatable as it may be, it is a fact of life that nearly the entire music industry knows and works around. In today’s fast paced world full of handheld devices and wireless networks no one wants to sit down and listen to an entire 10-12 track LP anymore. It has gotten to the point where a great deal of musicians have given up hope writing a great deal of good music.

            It seems to be that one of the latest offenders is LCD Soundsystem. Putting on the first track of the album one may be led to think that they’re listening to the next classic. Lengthy as it may be the calm crooning of front man, James Murphy, paired with the catchy harmonies in the albums opener, “Dance Yrself Clean”, lead to what may become one of the best singles of the year.  The next song on the album, Drunk Girls, is a memorable ode to the crazy nights of drinking and debauchery that I’m sure we’ve all lived at one time or another.

            Sadly this is where the successes of this album end. There is so much filler that someone could’ve mistaken it for something made by a fast food restaurant. Now don’t get me wrong these songs have a lot of potential it just seems as if LCD Soundsystem realized they had two decent songs and just stopped trying.  The song “one touch is probably couldn’t get more generic as far as an electronic song is concerned. The rest of the album basically goes along these lines for the rest of the time.

            For their last album ever as a band (aside from the ever so popular reunion that may or may not happen ten years down the road) Murphy and the gang should have been killing themselves to create something would go down in history. Instead they seem to have gotten all too comfortable with the fact that they were breaking up. Its sad to watch great bands like this go out with a fizzle instead of what they truly deserve and could achieve.

Adele "21"

For someone so young Adele has a very old soul. Listening to her one might be led to think that she’s lived a thousand years and had heartbreak to match. Her music filled with songs of lovers that do you wrong or broken affairs that just cant be. Maybe she’s seen a lot her short time on earth; maybe she’s got wisdom far beyond her years who knows.

Two years after her massively successful debut, 19, the British songstress returns with a soulful follow up to the 2008 album. However if you were looking for those bright Mark Ronson backed beats it would be wise to stick to her first album. 21 is an album that tends to explore more genres than we’re used to hearing from her. Within this one record you’re likely to hear a bit of blues, R&B, soul, and a tiny bit of gospel even. Whether that’s a good or not is up to you decide.

.In the past if you were to listen to Adele’s previous work you could peg her as someone who’s been in a few relationships that went awry and is pretty vulnerable due to that fact, however on 21 she’s become a different person entirely. The new Adele is empowered and won’t take any shit from anyone. Within the first two tracks (Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It) she takes a powerful bluesy stance the likes of which hasn’t been seen from her before.

As it seems Adele’s music just seems to get more and more soulful as her career goes on. If she keeps up like this there are going to be great things to be expected of her in the future. We may never figure out where she’s getting all this soul from but as long as she keeps up this way people probably aren’t going to care very much.