Movies Reviews

The Social Network – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Sep 30, 2010, 19:34 GMT

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 ...more

One of the most hotly anticipated films of the season finally swings into theatres, born aloft on the ridiculously fervent, universal popularity of Facebook (“the social network”), on the true life drama of unsympathetic founder Mark Zuckerberg (world’s youngest billionaire) and on David Fincher’s talent and sensibilities in excellent films like Zodiac.
 
It’s a well made movie, so well made in tracing its founders’ fortunes that you may cause you to cringe next time you open up Facebook.
While the film is slow getting off the ground due in part to the dreary amoral character of Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his obnoxious circle, it builds steam and creates what it meant to create – an unflinching portrait of the controversial Harvard student and a pop social history of an important, worldwide digital phenomenon.

The trailer tells us Zuckerberg was sued by his best friend and co-founder for millions, and by others, all of which can be learned in a few minutes on the internet, so there is little expectation of high drama. 
While it’s kind of fun watching Zuckerberg build his empire and get his comeuppance and realises he is what his ex called him, it’s a great treat when Justin Timberlake (as Napster founder Sean Parker) drops by and ramps up the action lending a sense of threat, dread and offering up untold riches.

He smells money and wants in, and if that means hurting others, hey no problem.

Zuckerman suffers from impulse control; he is a compulsive blogger whose jottings get him in legal and social trouble time and time again and he can’t shut it off.  His competitive zeal to dominate cyberspace (which he ultimately does) is according to the film, driven by rejection in love. 
His argumentative, abrupt, and condescending manner of dealing with people is also unstoppable, he knows he’s doing it but can’t pull the plug. 

So it’s a sad story about a nasty geek with an agenda and big mouth, essentially a fascinating portrait of this ironically friendless mogul who presumably sits alone on a mountain of money.

The Winklevoss twins, who hired Zuckerberg to build their Harvard dating website, claim he stole their idea and turned it into Facebook, so they sued him.  They won a reported $65M but have now filed to vacate the 2008 agreement and retry to matter for more money.
 
These well bred, well off Olympic rowers are shown as laughable, anachronistic jocks in extremely unflattering portraits. 

They are out of their league with lawsuits because they are “Harvard gentlemen” and seem better suited to rowing with Prince Harry and having tea with Prince Albert than getting into a public donnybrook with Zuckerberg.  But they did, and it’s a terrific story.

Fincher has an unerring eye for cinema and makes the most of the ancient Ivy League environment contrasting it to the harsh law firm offices that seal one’s fate.  He’s an excellent director for character and has a good feel for dramatic tension and release. 

But for some reason there’s a big emphasis on dancing and drugs, which while the lifestyle may be relevant to some fringe players, it’s not so much to the leads who would rather curl up to a keyboard, is thrown in to appeal to some imaginary demographic. “Fincher!  Half naked go-go girls!  Kissing!  Snorting cocaine - Stat!”

In the end it’s a sobering experience that confirms that business is a dog and ambition in the wrong hands is dangerous to one’s health but may well pay off.

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35mm Historical Drama
Written by Aaron Sorkin, based on Ben Mezrich’s book
Directed by David Fincher
Opens: Oct. 1
Runtime:
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language
Country: USA
Language: English