The Social Network (2010)

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

DIRECTED BY: DAVID FINCHER

WRITTEN BY: AARON SORKIN

NOVEL BY: BEN MEZRICH

OVERALL SCORE: 8.50/10

Currently being sued simultaneously by his best friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and three ex-college aspiring businessmen, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) reflects on the rise of FACEBOOK.

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If creating a great film could be mathematically quantified, and predetermined, one would be hard pressed to look for a better case study than The Social Network. You have a proven director, one who can blend drama, style, and thrill onto the screen like few others. A writer with a proven record of taking factual events and blending them seamlessly with fictional ones in order to create a captivating tale. A cast of talented unknowns, each deserving more public appreciation than they get. Put it together, and well, I think the film speaks rather well for itself on that matter.

Gripping, funny, dark, emotional, The Social Network is a breathtaking tale of deceit, conquest, and consequences. Delivering admirably at each category it wishes to approach, a feat seldom achieved by many modern films.

The Social Network is one of those rare cases where there isn't a single glue. No one thing holds it together throughout. Fincher reaches broad, goes for the gold, and connects with most every effort. Though few can get as much out of a cast as well as he can.

Eisenberg is an absolute delight as the emotionally calm, intellectually elitist, Zuckerberg. Arnie Hammer lights up as the competitive Winklevoss twins. Even Justin Timberlake manages to make the most of his appearance. Though for me the real shining star was Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin.

While Saverin's tale here is quite beefed up for emotional draw, Garfield handles the role perfectly, supplying the right amount of emotional sympathy many of he other lead characters lack. With Rashida Jones there along the way to provide an outsider perspectives, and moral compass, to the film.

If there is one area where The Social Network left me feeling down it would be the ending. It serves as a great bookmark on the central Zuckerberg, yet I can't help but feel after all that emotion bubbled up into the finale, the film deserved a few more minutes. Perhaps a final confrontation? Something more than text explanations would have been a nice treat.

Otherwise, I have very few complaints about The Social Network. They took the time to make the code talk sound legitimate, and as far as I can tell be legitimate (though I'm not among the hacking sort). It's a tale that takes the best cinema has to offer, and makes it work to its advantage time and time again.

One would be hard pressed to call The Social Network perfect, but in a year of mediocrity it shines brighter than most. Intelligently written, The Social Network is a multi-layered character study about some truly fascinating characters. It may fudge the facts, but every change is for the better. Never drudging, The Social Network blends comedy and drama in a way well worth your time and attention.