Facebook-The Movie

The Social Network
Adapted from Ben Mezrich's book; The Accidental Billionaires. screenwriter Aaron Sorkin who penned dialogue for television's West Wing, has created characters with all the depth of a facebook profile. And I think, this is the point. Jesse Eisenberg, plays Facebook icon; Mark Zuckerberg as a monochromatic character. He is portrayed as an arrogant jerk. No doubt one reason for this is that the writer of the book only got to hear one side of the story, that from Eduardo Savarin, Zuckerberg's jilted ex biz partner. According to the movie, Facebook is birthed in college from computer nerds longing for girls. Sorkin's dialogue is clever, and the look of the movie (directed by Fight Club's David Fincher) is hacker heaven. When the two Harvard University geeks, Zuckerberg and Savarin (Andrew Garfield), find out that their nascent social networking site has given them groupies, they begin to move in circles reserved for rock stars, a point cemented by pop star's Justin Timberlake's star turn as Napster founder Sean Parker. The acting is top notch. But as far as getting to know the mechanics behind facebook and Zuckerberg, it is like Facebook itself, not an in depth character study but only a profile. Relationship statuses. I like you. I hate you, Take a hike; I am being business partners with somebody else. Fine, lawyer up, I'm coming back for everything. The seduction of Zuckerberg by Justin Timberlake's serpentine Sean Parker of Napster fame is a blast. The lawsuit scenes are witty and revealing. Armie Hammer plays the Winklevoss twins, who end up suing and winning a nice chunk of change from Zuckerberg. The twins had hired him to do a facebook-like project while they were all at Harvard, and Zuckerberg took their ideas to create Facebook. Zuckerberg is arrogant and dismissive of Hammer's twins. He resents them because they are what Zuckerberg is not; charming, athletic, moral, socially successful, and walking in a golden light. It is the revenge of the nerds. Rooney Mara plays the girl who lights the match that creates facebook by dumping Zuckerberg. Of note, she will play Lisbeth Salander in the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo american remake.

The Social Network is stylish film making and is a cautionary tale about facebook friends and how quickly they can unfriend you.


Rating ****