Not everything is private

Rating: 10/10 (1 October 2010)

In The Social Network, we follow Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), a sophomore at Harvard University who is looking for a way to make his mark on campus, but more importantly to get himself into one of the elite Final Clubs at the prestigious institution, but that is easier said than done. After creating a website that allows users to rate how "hot" a female is compared to another, he turns the heads of some of the club members. Two in particular approach him in regards to an idea they had about social networking for Harvard. Mark agrees to help, but along the way realizes that this idea is much bigger than they all realize. Thus, Facebook is conceived.
Mark's aim is to put the social experience of college online. With the help of his good friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and his computer programming friends, they make a model for what will eventually be the most popular site this side of Google. As the project gets bigger and bigger, the network needs to evolve in order to stay alive. Enter Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the man who created Napster. Sean shows Mark the possibilities of his website, while Eduardo is looking to make money instantly. Mark, who clearly doesn't see eye to eye with Eduardo, decides to move on without him, creating a divide between the two that would never be repaired.
The film is cut up between the story and development of Facebook, and the lawsuits that Mark found himself in following his massive success, one suit coming from the Harvard club members who claim Mark stole their idea, and the other from Eduardo, who accuses Mark of cutting him out of Facebook unfairly.
The movie revolves around the character and motives of Mark. Jesse Eisenberg gives a career defining performance, really embracing the role and giving it everything he has. His dialogue is so snappy, making him sound so smart, clear, and ready for anything. The writing by Sorkin is outstanding. He doesn't wander about the story. He gets right to the point, highlighting the major incidents that occurred during the early days of this Internet phenomenon.
The supporting cast around Eisenberg couldn't have been better. Garfield as Mark's friend has great presence on screen, much like Timberlake who surprised me with his somewhat straightforwardness about Parker. It was clear that he was trying to play the character, not like his over the top performances from SNL. He is doesn't steal the show, and he doesn't have to. What I like so much about the casting is how nobody has really proved themselves before on the big screen. Timberlake is a superstar, but hasn't proved until now that he can handle a serious role. Eisenberg and Garfield are just starting to get their feet wet and the rest of the cast is for the most part unknown or in the same boat. It's because of this that we accept them as the characters they play, instead of watching someone like Seth Rogen. I was able to watch this movie and just focus on the story, not who was up there.
When I first heard that Eisenberg and Timberlake were slated to star in this film, I was a little uneasy. When I heard David Fincher was directing, I thought it was a joke. How could someone like this direct a movie with two actors who primarily do comedy (or music videos for JT's sake)? After watching the trailer, I was bought into it. This has Fincher written all over it. Like his other films (Fight Club, Se7en, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), this has a dark, sometimes grimy look to it, like a cloudy film was placed over the camera lens, creating a dingy, often muted look. It compliments the old fashioned campus of Harvard perfectly, and also creates a much needed dramatic tone. If this were shot with bright, popping colors, it would be a confusing film. With the help of Sorkin's script, Fincher creates a fast paced drama that really opens our eyes to the world around us.
What this film does an excellent job of is instead of focusing on college and it's rules and regulations, we focus on the impact of this website on all scales, from campus to global. We see that the power one website can have is astounding, but more importantly how rapid an idea can surface, be put into production, and impact the world.
For those who aren't familiar with Facebook, this is still a movie you can enjoy. This isn't a love ballad for the now multi-billion dollar company, but it's an examination of what happens when friendship meets business, when desire becomes creation, when innovation turns into a nightmare.
By the end of the film we don't know what exactly to make of Mark Zuckerberg. Granted this film isn't totally accurate, but it's clear that this is a man who knows what he wants, and understands the risks of acquiring it.
There are a lot of things to like about this movie, and not too many things to hate. I would undoubtedly expect great things to come from this film during the award season. It rules on all fronts; acting, directing, writing, cinematography, production design, music. This one has it all. The one thing I hope doesn't come as a result of this movie is "The Twit Flick." Let's keep it to one social networking film for now.