The Social Network (2010) Columbia/Drama RT: 120 minutes Rated PG-13 (sexual content, drug and alcohol use, language) Director: David Fincher Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin Music: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth Release date: October 1, 2010 (US) Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Josh Pence, Brenda Song, Rashida Jones, John Getz, David Selby, Denise Grayson, Douglas Urbanski, Rooney Mara, Joseph Mazzello, Dakota Johnson, Wallace Langham. Box Office: $96.9M (US)/$224.9M (World)
Rating: ****
I admit it, I use Facebook religiously. In addition to my website, I also maintain a FB page for Movie Guy 24/7. It’s proven to be a most useful cyber-tool. If not for FB, few people would know about MG 24/7. In turn, I never would have even gotten on the computer much less FB if not for my wife who dragged me kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Now that I’m here, I can’t imagine NOT being on FB. It’s been great for the most part. No, I’m not getting paid to promote FB.
Who would have ever thought a movie about the founding of the popular social media website would be as compelling as The Social Network? In the hands of director David Fincher (Fight Club) and writer Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men), it’s not just a routine biopic of FB founder Mark Zuckerberg; it’s a statement on modern society and the growing disconnect brought about by social networking sites that eliminate the need for personal interaction. It’s only fitting that a man with zero social skills kickstarted the global phenomenon.
The opening scene of The Social Network launches you immediately into the one-man universe inhabited by Zuckerberg (Eisenberg, Zombieland), a narcissistic genius whose arrogance is exceeded only by his cluelessness about how to handle social situations like having a beer with a girl at a campus pub. His date Erica (Mara, Side Effects) can barely keep up with his train of thought as he rambles aggressively and condescendingly on subjects ranging from the exclusivity of the clubs at Harvard to her previous relationship with the bouncer. She listens patiently at first, but gets increasingly angry until she’s finally had enough and walks out on him after calling him an a***hole. The worst part is Zuckerberg doesn’t appear to realize he insulted her with his comments and patronizing attitude. If he does, he simply doesn’t give a f***.
The Social Network chronicles the growth of FB from genesis to successful brainchild. Zuckerberg first conceives of it in 2003 while a sophomore at Harvard. His original idea was to build a social networking site only for Harvard students with seed money provided by best and only friend Eduardo Saverin (Garfield, The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2). He expands it to other Ivy League colleges after it quickly becomes part of the student lexicon- i.e. “Facebook Me.” From there, it grows and grows into the cyber-giant it is today thanks in great part to Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Timberlake, Alpha Dog) who came up with great ideas like changing the name from Thefacebook to simply Facebook.
Not everybody is thrilled about FB. Its success draws the ire of a few litigious individuals. I’ve neglected to discuss the narrative structure of The Social Network. The inception story is told via flashbacks within the framework of two separate depositions resulting from lawsuits against Zuckerberg. In the first, identical twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Hammer in a dual role) claim he stole the idea for FB from them after they came to him to help build their proposed site “Harvard Connection”. In the second, he’s being sued by Saverin claiming he was unfairly ousted from the company he helped create after raising concerns about how it’s being run.
One of the most interesting aspects of The Social Network is how it depicts Zuckerberg as intellectually gifted but severely socially challenged. However, it’s not as simple as him just being a total dick. If you observe closely, certain behavioral traits- e.g. not making eye contact, speech cadence and discomfort in social settings- indicate he has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Given his inability to connect with others in the real world, it’s only natural he’d utilize his gifts to invent a way to connect on-line without the hassle of personal interaction. On a deeper, more personal level, it’s his way of taking revenge against a society that constantly rejects him and pushes him aside. It’s long been said that success is the best revenge.
The performances are uniformly excellent in The Social Network. Eisenberg turns in an honest performance as Zuckerberg, the youngest billionaire in history. He embodies the genius’ faults and strengths perfectly. I have to admit, I never thought former NSYNC lead singer Timberlake would make it as an actor (because it worked out so well for bandmate Lance Bass). I assumed, wrongly it turns out, he wasn’t capable of more than posing for teen magazines and CD covers. He surprised me with his performances in Alpha Dog and Black Snake Moan. He’s terrific here as Sean Parker, the self-made entrepreneur who tries to introduce Zuckerberg to a wild lifestyle of partying, drugs and trophy model girlfriends. What’s interesting about Zuckerberg accepting him into his circle is that he represents the frat boy mentality he despises so much. Hammer is also great as both halves of “Winklevi”, Mark’s term of non-endearment for the over-privileged, over-indulged brothers who can’t begin to process things not going their way such as when they come in second in a major rowing competition (the Henley Royal Regatta).
Fincher and Sorkin do a brilliant job with The Social Network. They’ve created a modern masterpiece combining the director’s cold, crisp visual style and the screenwriter’s smart, snappy dialogue. They take you into a world of bro-culture where women are either arm candy or bitches. The only one that doesn’t fit either description is the legal assistant (Jones, Parks and Recreation) present at the Winklevoss deposition. Fincher and Sorkin easily overcome one of the biggest obstacles in making an entertaining movie about a subject as esoteric as computer programming. They make it accessible to all without dumbing it down a single iota. Sorkin’s screenplay is intelligent yet not beyond the understanding of novice computer users.
The Social Network also scores high on a technical level. The cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth is first-rate with its dark, claustrophobic settings. The staccato score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross perfectly sets the mood. The editing, which deservedly won an Oscar for Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, is top-notch level stuff.
The Social Network is a rare instance of a film that came out while its subject was still popular. It still is to some degree. People still use it, although now it’s become the domain of middle-aged people like me while youngsters now live their on-line lives on Instagram and TikTok. Either way, it taps right into the zeitgeist in showing one of the main reasons we’ve become detached from one another in the real world.
