A Brilliant Era-Defining Film

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2011)

As I'm sure many of you know, David Fincher's The Social Network (2010) is a riveting story about the creation of the social networking site, FACEBOOK, and the whole mess in between. I must say, I was not exactly sure what to expect going into this movie. I remember seeing the trailer for the first time and thinking, "What the crap? FACEBOOK movie already? It's just too soon." To my great surprise, The Social Network ended up being quite a treat. It's the perfect film for this era, where anyone between the ages of 15 and 30 dive into social media as a means of communication. First off, the performances are absolutely phenomenal. Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Mark Zuckerberg, the 'creator' of facebook, plays this role in a way I could not have possibly imagined. Normally, I would refer to him as "poor man's Michael Cera." However, I've gained an incredible amount of respect for the actor after catching this flick. Let's just say he was made for this role. The script is so quick and witty, and he delivers his lines so freely, as to create one of the most accurate youth pics I've seen (in terms of dialogue) since Greg Mottola's Superbad (2007). I was even proud of Mr. JT in his role as Sean Parker. He's the perfect parasite. I haven't disliked a character so much since Mo'Nique as Mary in Lee Daniels' Precious (2009). This film grips you and drags you into a world where you can't identify with anyone. Everyone is flawed, but, this works. That's what makes it so real. The Social Network is not just about FACEBOOK. It's about friendship, greed, and betrayal. It illustrates how far one is willing to go, even if it means risking everything,; even if it means throwing it all away; even if it means sacrificing all of your real friends for 500 million facebook friends. This film is not simply for entertainment. It's art for art's sake. A true masterpiece of our time.