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| The Social Network movie poster, property of Columbia Pictures. |
Facebook. Who today does not use Facebook? Even my parents are on Facebook. We use Facebook to catch up with friends, chat, invite people to parties, look at photos, see who's single or married, play games, and yes, secretly stalk people from the safety of our homes. In fact, most of the traffic to my blog comes from links I post on Facebook.
But how did it all begin? Who created Facebook? How did it get so popular? The latest movie by David Fincher The Social Network (which opened today nationwide) gives audiences the whole history of America's - and the world's - newest favorite pastime.
From the very first scene I loved this movie. I think I even leaned over to Brian and said, "I already love this movie." I was hooked. The movie opens with Mark Zuckerberg (played by another "berg" Jesse Eisenberg) and his girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara) having a conversation in a pub. Their exchange of dialogue is so cleverly written - sometimes following three different threads at once - and the scene so well-acted that I knew right away that I would be enjoying an entertaining and smart film. In that first scene we get an understanding of Zuckerberg's personality, social shortcomings, and genius.
And from that moment on the story just gets more and more interesting, and the origins of Facebook get more and more complex as we meet many who played a part. There are the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer and, again, Armie Hammer) and their friend Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) who were trying to create a similar social network and feel their idea was stolen. There's also Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) who is Zuckerberg's college friend who came up with the algorithm and still never felt like a true part of the company. And finally, Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) who is the failed creater of Napster who now wants a piece of the Facebook pie. Lawsuits and accusations fly, partying ensues, friends become enemies, and Facebook quickly takes over the world.
This movie thrives on being so current with today's obsession in social networks and the internet in general. But apart from the obvious appeal of the subject matter, Aaron Sorkin's screenplay is brilliantly structured and David Fincher's direction is vivid and to-the-point. The cast is superb as well. Jesse Eisenberg really breaks out of his shell in this movie, delivering a multi-dimensional performance without breaking a sweat. Justin Timberlake proves that he is a talented and versatile entertainer, showing terrific acting prowess and believability. And Andrew Garfield also impresses, infusing great naivete and vulnerability in his role of the back-stabbed ex-best friend.
For anyone who's ever sent a friend request or written on a wall, The Social Network is a must-see.
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If you'd like to read Brian's review, click here.
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