You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.

Rating: 10/10 (2 October 2010)

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history...but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. (Sony Pictures)
THE SOCIAL NETWORK is not about Facebook. It's about Mark Zuckerberg and the people associated with him and the consequences that arise with the evolution of Facebook. In an even broader sense, it's about friends being driven apart due to money and betrayal. Because of this, it's no surprise that many have already compared this to CITIZEN KANE. And it's not just the similarities in themes that are astounding, it's the quality as well.
What makes THE SOCIAL NETWORK so good is the masterfully written script by Aaron Sorkin. The film is filled with impeccable dialog that just sucks you in. It would be no surprise if the film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Director David Fincher also does a great job keeping the audience captivated through and through with a consistently fast pace. Really, you'll probably be drawn to the film's opening argument between two characters than any other scene this year. All right, I'm exaggerating, but you get the point. It's not Fincher's best work, but it's in the top 3.
Jesse Eisenberg and co-star Andrew Garfield are the driving force behind this film. Eisenberg does a terrific job delivering the lines as he did while Garfield brings in an emotional aspect to the film. Although both are quite excellent, Garfield's performance is Oscar worthy. Rooney Mara is quickly getting up the ladder after having last seen her in the remake of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET in the beginning of the year. She's just in a few scenes, but she's great in them. I would have like to see her more in the film, though. Apparently, Armie Hammer played two characters as twins in the film, which really blew me away when I found out because I thought they were two different actors. He really distinguished the characters really well. Oh, and if you're worried about Justin Timberlake, don't be. He's really good in here. I also loved Rashida Jones in the few scenes she was in.
With terrific performances from the cast all around, a brilliant script, some fine directing by Fincher, and an engaging score by Trent Reznor, it should be no surprise that THE SOCIAL NETWORK succeeded the way it did. Although it's a 2-hour dialog driven film, it absolutely engrossing to watch. If anything, this is probably the closest modern version of CITIZEN KANE that we will ever get in a long time. THE SOCIAL NETWORK is easily one of the best films of the year.