A compelling watch!

Rating: 9/10 (28 March 2020)

When there was news that David Fincher (Director of Fight Club and Se7en) was in production of a biopic of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, it certainly peaked a lot of interest and curiosity. Focusing on the creation of Facebook by Zuckerberg in his early years (played here by Jesse Eisenberg) and the rise and fall of his collaboration with friend Eduardo (Andrew Garfield) it's a really gripping and engaging thesis on morality and the importance of true human interaction in which the dramatisation of this story depicts very thoughtfully. After watching I was intrigued on what Zuckerberg actually thought of this biopic as it doesn't paint him in a particularly bright light. I see it as more of a dramatisation than an actual account of real events whether they were or not and its themes are explored masterfully. It made a star out of writer Aaron Sorkin who previously had written A Few Good Men, went on the direct Molly's Game and write the equally brilliant biopic Steve Jobs! The quickfire dialogue instantly draws you in from the beginning in which you have to really pay attention to what the characters are saying but the flow becomes second nature once you're engrossed in the story. Beautifully scored by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Atticus Ross who have worked on Fincher's works ever since, it's a really powerful soundtrack that is at times darkly groovy (try the track A Familiar Taste) experimentally fun (their version of In The Hall Of The Mountain King) and incredibly tense (Gentle Hum Of Anxiety). Performance wise Eisenberg and Garfield are great; Jesse particularly shines in a lawsuit scene where Mark is losing patience with everyone around him. Garfield's performance is measured perfectly and builds up to breaking point towards the end where his character finally says what he needs to say. It's directed with a non-fussy and straight to the point eye; stylish but unpretentious. Fincher has a very distinctive almost gothic look to his films while remaining very natural. A career highlight for many of the filmmakers involved