A compelling drama that deservedly joins the illustrious five-star club.

Rating: 10/10 (29 October 2010)

I'm not sure where to start. The Social Network is littered with so many impressive qualities that on any given day I could write a whole review dedicated to just one of them. From the men behind the scenes – director David Fincher, scribe Aaron Sorkin – to the young cast in front of it – Eisenberg, Garfield, Timberlake, Hammer, Mara – there's no shortage of people to rave about. Then there's the brilliantly persuasive original music by Atticus Ross and Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor as well. I suppose I'll just proceed in a natural order.
Adapted from Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires, Sorkin's screenplay is simply scintillating. The West Wing creator is already known for his razor-sharp dialogue thanks to his hit TV political drama and here he delivers more of the witty, fast-sprouting conversations and breath-taking monologues that audiences have come to expect. I was never less than utterly enthralled in what was being said as Sorkin invests his writings with an intelligence that demands your undivided attention. Being swept away by the cunning force of the words isn't the only thing that Sorkin brings to the table though, he grafts multiple strands of plot over a non-linear timeline into one cohesive and entirely absorbing story. That the tale is loosely based – Sorkin openly declared to the New York Times that "I don't want my fidelity to be to the truth, I want it to be to storytelling" – on how the youngest self-made billionaire in the world, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, became exactly that is all the more intriguing.
Calling the shots on only his second film that isn't overtly dark and intense – after 2008's Benjamin Button – Fincher has unmistakably decided to test his own talent. There are the apparent filmmaking flourishes on display, the encompassing birds-eye shot of Zuckerberg running through the Harvard compound during the opening credits sequence and the mesmerizing rowing montage set to Edvard Grieg's famous Opus 23 In the Hall of the Mountains for instance, however Fincher offers more than what may be initially apparent. For example, many won't realise whilst viewing The Social Network that the Winklevoss brothers are actually played by Armie Hammer and, well, Armie Hammer. He's always been brash with his use of subtle special effects – the tremendously clever use of CGI in Zodiac still the pinnacle in his career – and his vision to allow Hammer to portray both brothers, and execute it flawlessly, is a technical wonder. The fact that no-one will notice this unless they've been clued in goes a long way to exemplify the sort of invaluable director Fincher is to modern cinema.
On the screen, Zombieland star Jesse Eisenberg inhabits the role of the socially inept and technologically forward-thinking Zuckerberg completely. Eisenberg injects his Harvard misfit with a conflicted personality: Zuckerberg is, despite being a genius in anyone's book, undeniably human in every way. British up-and-comer Andrew Garfield – who was mesmerizingly good in the hard-hitting Boy-A – may not have a character as openly flashy or interesting as the computer whiz-kid, but he instils Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg's best friend who later sued him for half a billion dollars, with a wider and deeper emotional gamut than any of the other characters. In the climactic scene where he confronts his ex-pal in the Facebook offices, Garfield displays the sort of natural gravitas that is reserved for only the best thespians. In support, pop-star Justin Timberlake further argues his case as a serious actor with a suitably smarmy portrayal of Napster co-founder Sean Parker, Armie Hammer delivers an amazing double-act as the Winklevoss twins and we get a sneak peek at Rooney Mara, the actress who won the highly sought after role of Lisbeth Salander in Fincher's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo remake.
A compelling drama that deservedly joins the illustrious five-star club alongside Inception and Animal Kingdom thanks to all of the extraordinary players involved.
5 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Fine, 3 - Good, 4 - Great, 5 - Brilliant)