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At any given moment during any given day, millions of people are logged into Facebook. They’re checking in on their friends, their acquaintances, their favorite online publication, or their favorite restaurants. They’re commenting on their thoughts, their achievements, or the mundane little details of their lives. For many of us, Facebook has become an ordinary part of everyday life—which makes it seem like an odd topic for a movie. In fact, it sounds almost as exciting as a movie about Word documents or spreadsheets. And perhaps that’s what makes The Social Network such a remarkably entertaining surprise.
Written by Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War, A Few Good Men) and directed by David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club), The Social Network exposes the world of Facebook, starting with its controversial creation by the world’s youngest billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg).
Loosely built around the testimony from two simultaneous lawsuits against Zuckerberg, the film begins at Harvard in 2003. After Mark’s girlfriend, Erica (Rooney Mara), dumps him, he goes back to his room, cracks open a few beers, and creates a website that brings down Harvard’s network in a matter of hours. The incident gets him in all kinds of hot water—but it also gets the attention of the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer).
The twins want to create an exclusive networking site called Harvard Connection—and they want Mark to help them develop it. But after agreeing to work with them, Mark goes back to his room and—with some startup capital from his best friend, Eduardo (Andrew Garfield)—he starts programming his own exclusive networking site, which he calls The Facebook. But when the site becomes a success, not everyone is thrilled.
The Social Network may or may not be entirely factual, but it is entirely entertaining—a fascinating and fast-moving clash of enormous egos and colossal talent. While most films need a hero to make them enjoyable, though—some kind of knight in shining armor to keep the story from falling apart—The Social Network is filled with deliciously unlikeable characters. Not a single one of the major players (except maybe poor, naïve Eduardo) comes out of it unscathed. They’re all portrayed as pompous, paranoid, greedy, and egotistical. They lie, they cheat, they steal, and they stab their friends in the back.
In the hands of a lesser writer, director, or cast, such an utterly biting film could have been painful to watch—but Sorkin keeps the dialogue crisp and clever and loaded with high-speed, I-can’t-believe-he-just-said-that zingers. And although the story is built around lawsuits and sworn testimony, there’s never a dull moment. In fact, there’s so much going on in the story (and at such a fast pace) that you’ll have to race to keep up—but you’ll enjoy every minute of it. It’s wild, it’s smart, and it’s absolutely absorbing. Think of it as a geeky, 21st-century hybrid of Wall Street and Animal House.
Meanwhile, the young stars take Sorkin’s witty script—as well as Fincher’s spot-on directing—to create a cast of characters that you’ll love to hate. From Justin Timberlake, who’s positively electric as the delusional Napster founder Sean Parker, to Armie Hammer, who’s perfectly polished and pretentious as the Winklevoss twins, the supporting cast couldn’t be better.
But, of course, the whole thing revolves around Eisenberg, who gives the performance of his young career as the infamous Facebook creator. In the past, his roles have been adorably wishy-washy—but there’s nothing wishy-washy about Zuckerberg. Though the film suggests that he might be motivated by jealousy and insecurity, he still comes off as a self-centered, condescending smartass. He’s geeky and awkward, and he’s such a jerk that he’s just so much fun to watch.
When it’s over, you may not have gained a whole lot of insights about life, love, or the ever-expanding world of 1s and 0s. But The Social Network is a fascinating and highly entertaining film—one that will forever change the way you look at your daily status updates.
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