The Social Network

The Social Network-2010

It takes a lot to completely change the way that humans interact with each other. Before this millennium, if you wanted to know if a girl you thought was cute was single, or if you were curious what your friends were doing at this exact moment or if someone you knew liked the same band as you, you had to actually ask them. One man changed that. Created interactions without the actual act of interacting. When put in those terms, one would think that person would be socially awkward. Hard to get a long with. Put simply, kind of a dick. Also, that person would be a genius. That persons name is Mark Zuckerberg.

David Fincher's latest film The Social Network, tells the story of Zuckerberg, who created one of this generations most powerful tools, Facebook, out of heartbreak, alcohol and a whole lot of vengeance. Zuckerberg saw what the Internet had the power to do and expounded upon it. This is a college student who was able to crash Harvard's Internet in the middle of the night with a website he created in hours. When in high school, he created a music sharing program that when Microsoft showed interest in purchasing it, gave it away for free. This is a guy who understands what can be cool and can create it, yet can't be invited to the parties on his college campus. 

Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg of recent Zombieland fame, is a man you don't want to cross. Automatically, we are shown even before we see that he has created Facebook, that he is being sued by two different parties, one of which is his best friend. Yet, even while the threat of losing millions of dollars looms in the air, Zuckerberg comes to trials in sandals, illustrates on legal pads instead of listening and argues the relevance of the court. 

His business partner and aforementioned best friend Eduardo Saverin, played by the star of Never Let Me Go and future Spider-Man Andrew Garfield, backs Zuckerberg with money and moral support. They quickly become Harvard celebrities. The rise of 'The Facebook' becomes wild as they gain groupies, hire new hands and the term 'Facebook Me' becomes used as a verb around the Ivy League grounds.

Zuckerberg and Co. change the world of sociability through code.

This partnership seems solid until the creator of Napster Sean Parker, as played by Justin Timberlake, decides to meet with the two boys and builds their hopes of what this website could do. Zuckerberg and Saverin are thinking other colleges. Parker is thinking other continents. Facebook spreads like a virus across the country and eventually the world. What once became a way to find people who share the same class as you becomes the worldwide phenomenon that I have checked five times since starting this article. 

Zuckerberg states that he knows what makes Facebook cool throughout the film, and so does director David Fincher. Fincher has made some riveting films over the years, from Seven to Zodiac to the Academy Award nominated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the much beloved Fight Club. Fincher makes The Social Network reek with cool. Fincher once again works with his Fight Club cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth to create one of the most gorgeously shot films of the year. Fincher makes you want to be these people, inhabit their world, be part of the revolution. 

Not to be outdone by the visual masterwork Fincher creates, Aaron Sorkin has written a elegantly worded script that surprises around every turn. The dialogue here is the year's best and bites with wit. Sorkin's writes characters that talk with urgency and intelligence yet always is able to keep the audience up with him. The Social Network might be the most perfectly worded script since 2008's carefully written Doubt.

Let's not forget the cast, which showcases some of the best talent young Hollywood has to offer. Eisenberg steps out of his usual frame to play his darkest, most conniving character yet, and does it well. Eisenberg plays Zuckerberg deliberately, knowing what consequences his actions will have on others several steps before they even realize it. Rooney Mara, who will be the future Lisbeth Salander in Fincher's next film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, has a small but chillingly great role as Zuckerberg's ex-girlfriend. Surprisingly overlooked are the Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, played by Armie Hammer and Josh Pence, respectively, who give Zuckerberg the seed of inspiration for Facebook. The Winklevoss brothers bring a great shot of humor into the film without every playing schticky stereotypes. 

Justin Timberlake adds to his interesting repertoire of characters and does an excellent job as Parker, who straddles the line of eccentric genius with success leeching. 

"This is our time."

But the real stand out performance here is Andrew Garfield. Garfield was phenomenal is Spike Jonze's breathtaking short film I'm Here from earlier this year and his career is only getting more interesting with his role as Saverin. Garfield is the heart and soul of The Social Network, as the man who gets dragged in the mud by Zuckerberg to create something great. Garfield rapidly becomes the audience's hero and shares in his failures and disappointments throughout the film, perfect for his future role as Peter Parker.

Many critics have felt the desire to call The Social Network "the film of the generation", and I'm very inclined to agree. While past generations have had great actors, writers, musicians, etc. to create biopics around, Fincher has created one around the creator of a website. A website that in less than a decade has changed the world and Fincher shows us the rise of the website checked by almost everyone in brilliant fashion. With the pitch-perfect writing by Sorkin and the great cast of up-and-comers, Fincher has created a film that shows what makes celebrity today and how the guy next door can be the billionaire of tomorrow with only a computer and ambition.

Rating: A