Worthy of all the praise, brilliant cast, great story, and just a terrific film

Rating: 10/10 (21 March 2011)

I went into The Social Network with zero expectations. I knew the context and thought in the back of my mind it sounded a little silly but I didn't know the story behind the juggernaut that is Facebook. Whether you want to see The Social Network as truth, or fiction or somewhere in the middle it doesn't deny how incredibly fascinating the film is, brilliantly acted, with great characters. I was actually surprised that the critics jumped on the band wagon for this one because I didn't think this would be their type of film but it turns out that the movie received great awards and notice and all for good reason. The film is a drama that will keep you glued to the story from beginning to end thanks in no small part to the powerful performances. On top of that the film has a terrific haunting soundtrack (Academy Award winning) that will stay with you long after the film has ended. This just seems to be one of those films where everything works...the cast, the score, the director, and the tone of the film. I suppose it doesn't hurt that Facebook is something that 99% of the world is familiar with, but really it doesn't matter.
Jesse Eisenberg headlines the cast as the brilliant and perhaps ironically socially awkward Mark Zuckerberg. Eisenberg gives this subtle and incredibly pathos fuelled performance. You dislike him, love him, and pity him all at once and constantly but his success and brilliance is easily portrayed by him. This will certainly sky rocket his career although I'm not sure his acting ability goes far from this performance. Andrew Garfield gives, in my opinion, the best performance in the film as Zuckerberg's best friend and partner Eduardo Saverin. Garfield's performance is incredibly emotional and depthy and he goes through so much in the film and he is the character I rooted for the most. He is certain to be a rising star especially with the new Spiderman on the cusp of his career. Armie Hammer does an amazing job playing a dual role as the twins who sue Zuckerberg for 'stealing' their idea. Certainly he plays the role well enough that each twin has their own distinct personality and you would have to stop and think about it before realizing it is the same guy playing both roles and that speaks worlds to his performance. Up and coming It girl Rooney Mara gets top billing in the film usually with the rest of them but she has a very small role although pivotal to the story as Zuckerberg's ex girlfriend. She has good chemistry with Eisenberg and the opening scene with the two of them sets the stage for the entire film really. I think, similar to Garfield, Justin Timberlake's performance is very under-appreciated in this film. He gives a great performance as Napster founder Sean Parker. He is sleazy and fast talking but a great business man and he carries his parts flawlessly and I hope he gets the recognition he deserves in future roles.
With successes and some stumbles Aaron Sorkin is an amazing writer. Despite its quick cancellation his TV Series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip had some of the most witty and brilliant writing I have ever seen. He also penned cult fave The West Wing, Charlie Wilson's War (also very well written but poorly received) and its good he got some great recognition (Oscar win) for this film because it has the perfect pace, great characters and just a really terrific story. Add into this the amazing David Fincher (Se7ven, The Game, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are three of my favorites from him...truly amazing films.) David Fincher knows better than anyone how to set a tone and he does it perfectly with this film. This isn't his usual type of film and yet he still brings in his dark, foreboding, broody, emotional tones to it and it works perfectly. Some people love it, and some people hate it but I was blown away by how amazing the film was. Give it a chance because it is entertaining and brilliantly put together and just a truly terrific film all around. I don't usually agree with professional critics but in this case I think they truly nailed this one down when they showered it with awards and nominations. 10/10 Riveting!!