Cinema--The Social Network

or: More than just 'the Facebook movie'.

One word to sum it up: Intriguing.

I first heard about The Social Network in July. I remember trying to register this in my head: David Fincher directing a movie about Facebook starring Jesse Eisenberg. It took me a couple of months to register that thought, but after I saw the trailer with the amazing cover of 'Creep' by Radiohead online, I knew I had to see this film. In the months leading up to watching this film, I watched more David Fincher, fell even more in love with Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, tried to take Justin Timberlake seriously, and read 'The Accidental Billionaires'. And now I see how the David Fincher directed Jesse Eisenberg starring Facebook movie worked.

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history...but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

The Social Network is a near perfect film. Everything, down to the last little detail, is so well put together that I barely believed I was watching a film. Instead, I thought I was watching history unfurl right before my eyes, and the story of how our generation got to be the way it is. There are so many good things I have to say about the film. The first scene, where we first meet a jabbering Mark talking at his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara), is among one of the best openings to a film that I have ever seen. It was like Aaron Sorkin jammed every word in the English language into that one scene, thus setting the tone for the rest of the film. The script is simply impeccable, taking a very intelligent and talkative approach the story. The characters could talk the world to an end.

Because there is such a highly intelligent script, which Aaron Sorkin did the best job possible with, the actors had to be fairly on their toes. The good thing is that they all are, including Justin Timberlake (still can't take him seriously, oh well). But you've really got to hand it to it's lead stars, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield. Jesse is simply brilliant as Mark. I couldn't get over what a transformation he made from the awkward nice guy to the awkward arrogant prick, almost effortlessly. Give the guy an Oscar nomination; he more than deserves it. Andrew, on the flipside, serves as the films emotional joint. He is terrific in the role of Eduardo Saverin, and provides that kind of victim character against (insert description here) Mark. Their talent is particularly well shown in the scene where Eduardo goes to confront Mark in the Facebook office. Andrew completely breaks down (in such a realistic way), while Jesse can sit there and take it, emotionless. I don't know how either of them could possibly have done it.

David Fincher's direction is, like the rest of the film, perfect. He uses the right amount of everything, with elements from previous films like Fight Club and Zodiac coming through. This is a film he should be proud to have on his CV, and one that millions of other directors should be jealous of. While it's not as in your face as Fight Club, the subtlety used fits the college backdrop amazingly well. The final element that makes The Social Network so great is the amazing score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It compliments every finely combed scene in this movie, and perhaps that's why it's so great.

Does The Social Network work as a movie? HELL YES. I'll be lining up to try and get a second watch in. It was frequently funny, but all in all a thought provoking piece that shows us an insight into the (maybe fictionalized) life of the most influential figure alive. Everything is perfect, and this is modern filmmaking at it's very best. Is it the best movie I have seen this year? Well, I'll still be an Inception fan through and through, but let's just say this movie definitely gives it a run for it's money. Come Oscar time, I'll be putting my money on this for a few wins.


THE VERDICT: Amazing performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, amazing direction from David Fincher, amazing music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, amazing script by Aaron Sorkin. EVERYTHING I had hoped for.

10/10