All films written by lawyers are really about lawyers.

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 2011)

A bright social misfit (Mark Zuckerberg) becomes a billionaire by coming up with a new and radical way of communicating with friends and colleges through the internet. But was he the complete and total author?
Before I even saw this film I congratulated David Fincher and his production team for even touching this theme. So recent a piece of social history. The protagonist has the deepest pockets imaginable - so the film is clearly guided by lawyers and legal advice. The usual flashback he said/she said bomb-proof air-raid shelter. Mostly based on court deposition.
(Not only was the film virtually written by lawyers they feature on-screen more than they need to. Loyalty-free parasites - all of them!)
I don't think many people will want to see this product twice and over time the (high) IMDb rating will shrink. Why? Because the soup is too thin. We know he did it - what we may not know is how he did it. Once this is learnt (in the broadest who-do-you-believe strokes) then there is not a lot to return to.
Credit Jessie Eisenberg for playing a slightly autistic virgin loner who clings to the wall at parties, but clearly untrue. He not only had a girlfriend before his life went bang, but he is still with her today. Movie convention dictates that all programmers are geeky social misfits, usually wearing glasses held together with sticking plaster.
(They stopped short of this here - but cliché is not avoided.)
Programming is a slow business. Like working in treacle. To show his skill he hammers away like a speed typist. But most of programming is debugging. He never got it right first time. Although, to be fair, only programmers know this and the audience has no interest in such nuts-and-bolts.
Quality acting by lead Eisenberg and especially good support from Justin Timberlake (as theft-is-good Napster "founder" Sean Parker) who really is quite adept at playing flash character roles. Lost a lot of weight to make himself look younger.
The movie contradicts itself is when it claims that Zuckerberg has no real interest in money. Especially when most of his actions show that he wants to cut the cake more-and-more in his favour and, earlier, makes himself scarce rather than having to lie. Cowards lying. Like Bill Gates (featured in cameo) I don't envy him because he is not cool and in reality money (above a certain level) cannot improve your life. Not unless your only ambition is to build a hospital in the Third World.
Like many I came to this film looking for information and what I got was mostly opinion and spin. At worst it clinks and clangs in its ball-and-chain. However I was entertained for a couple of hours and that is - really - all we should ask of a film.