An engaging and provocative drama that may just make you think twice before you update your Facebook status in the future

Rating: 8/10 (14 October 2010)

At the end of the millennium David Fincher's visceral take on Chuck Palahniuk's novel 'Fight Club' defined a generation and, while it seems like only yesterday that it was released, eleven years have passed since Brad Pitt and Edward Norton contributed towards what is now regarded as a cult classic. Over a decade later the revered director has once more attempted to capture a moment in time, bravely deciding to focus his efforts on real events from very recent history, by filming a compelling drama based entirely on the creation of a single website that quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.
Jesse Eisenberg plays Marc Zuckerberg, the brains behind Facebook, and The Social Network opens with a snappy dialogue between Zuckerberg and a female companion that ends disastrously, allowing the audience to fully comprehend the social awkwardness surrounding the film's lead, and his motivation for the creation of his website. Assisted by a number of friends, most notably Andrew Garfield in a stunning performance that is reassuring to fans of Spiderman (Garfield is scheduled to play Peter Parker in the upcoming reboot), Zuckerberg utilises his computer skills to create an exclusive club for Harvard students that remains accessible to the less sporty members of the prestigious University. In doing so he unwittingly unleashes a social medium that begins to spread across America and eventually over to Europe, as more and more students become obsessed with their online presence and the ability to check up on their friends, and more importantly their relationship statuses, wherever they are in the world.
There is no denying that The Social Network tells an incredible story, with Fincher's visual flair perfectly matched with the powerful soundtrack by Trent Reznor, especially in a standout rowing scene that is guaranteed to get your heartbeat racing, but the only downside is a lacklustre ending which cannot really be levelled as a criticism, after all this is real life and the story will continue long after the credits are rolling. People familiar with Facebook will find a lot to love in this movie, the inspirational story is a great backbone to the character development as well as providing a very personal account of Zuckerberg's rise to fame. The humorous references to situations that most of the sites user's will have found themselves in are very effective and provide a perfect balance to the tension in some of the more dramatic scenes, as well as enabling the audience to connect with the film on a more personal level.
The Social Network is an engaging and provocative drama that may just make you think twice before you update your Facebook status in the future. I would recommend it to anyone who uses Facebook on a regular basis; you are guaranteed to give it the thumbs up.