All us music video nerds are a'twitter over the new Timberlake and Hova video directed by the Mara sister's favorite lensman, David Fincher. The clip is great and it definitely calls back some of the director's favorite things, all while seeming completely fresh.
Here is a list of the five most Fincher-y elements in the new JT video:
Horns - who doesn't love a good shot of the horn section doing their thing? Steve Winwood sure did back in 1988 in his "Roll With It" video.
Writhing - Another Fincher favorite is shots of dancers wriggling around and getting serpentine. Seen many places but perhaps most notably in Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted Snake."
Suits - Black and white shots of men in suits is always a classic, as evidenced in Madonna's "Vogue" from 1990.
Dancer Shirt Removal - Far be it from me to criticize the man for liking to shoot dancers removing white shirts to reveal black bras beneath. This masterstroke also seen in Billy Idol's 1990 video for "Rock the Cradle."
Tech - A newer go-to move is rythmic, almost too-perfect technology that edges into being oppressive but is impossible to not watch - like the super-syncopated lasers behind JT and his dancers. Also played a major role in Panic Room and 2005's NIN video, "Closer."
All of these influences (plus some directorial skill and super star performances) make 'Suit and Tie' a great video. Still, I wouldn't have complained if we had gotten some 50-foot Keef.
Doug Stern also writes music video treatments when he isn't playing chess with models.
