An absorbing, intelligent and timely pop culture technology portrait of the last decade

Rating: 10/10 (1 October 2010)

"The Social Network" / Directed by: David Fincher / Written by: Aaron Sorkin / Based on the book: "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich / Released September 2010 (Chicago) / Viewed October 1, 2010
* * * * Excellent
I liked this, almost masterpiece of a film, very much. Director David Fincher keeps things moving along at a lively pace and shows a refreshingly original style and mastery of how to best tell the story of the film. Due to the subject matter, this is a case where the product is much more famous than it's creators.
Based on the startup of facebook.com by Harvard student Mark Zuckerburg and friend/fellow student, beginning in 2003 on the campus of Harvard University. After telling the beginning/genesis of "the facebook", as it was known at Harvard at the time, the film then tells the remainder of it's story in flashback, during a double law suit deposition by four Harvard students, alleging Zuckerburg stole the idea of facebook from them.
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin delivers an absorbing and intelligent screenplay with biting humor and wit. The film itself is part social commentary, with some thought provoking statements about the popular influence of social websites and the good and bad of the current Internet information age we live in. Accessing too much information, too quickly, easily and the ability to share it freely with the whole world, presents some problems. Without maturity, wisdom, good judgment and reasoning, harm can be easily done, intentionally or unintentionally. Things can be taken out of context and facts distorted easier than ever before.
The film looks and feels very authentic. I was impressed by the focused direction and the intelligent, witty and humorous writing style. The film begins with a good bang. The opening scene is set in a college bar. It's 2003. Mark Zuckerberg and a female friend are having a passionate discussion about many different topics. Zuckerberg is presented as riding a thin line between highly motivated and obsessed with ideas. He's a very intelligent young man and his brain is jam packed with many ideas swirling around at the same time. His female friend comments that, conversing with him, is like being on a stairmaster. It's simply too tiring and also a little confusing.
Fincher knows exactly the right pace and rhythm and exactly how to set up and execute each individual scene, while getting some excellent all around acting performances out of his mostly young cast. The first two things I noticed and was impressed by, early into the film, were Jesse Eisenburg's exceptional acting performance as facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg and the screenplay. The excellent direction of Fincher then becomes apparent.
Jesse Eisenburg nails his role, portraying facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg, convincingly, as a highly intelligent, introverted, slightly immature, social inept and nerdy 19 year old Harvard student, who entered Harvard with an impressive, perfect 1600 score on his SAT. He does a great, if unusual job at defending himself against his accusers during the deposition. Also, Justin Timberlake gives a convincing supporting role performance as slightly paranoid, but passionate and driven Napster founder Sean Parker and third startup partner of facebook.
"The Social Network" is definitely one of the most timely, intelligent and engaging films to come along in a while.