Facebook movie ‘The Social Network’

Mark Zuckerberg knows us beter than we know ourselves. He’s got over 500 million friends attesting to it. In creating the internet phenomenon that is Facebook, he’s proven something about this generation: it’s not special. Modern life is just as checkered with uplifts and heartaches as that of times past. But why is it that we, once given the opportunity, choose to share those feelings to countless others?
Why do we forge so many relationships and try to make such personal connections over the web?

In “The Social Network,” David Fincher takes on these questions by cleverly unfolding the very dawn of this internet goliath. Working with a finely-tuned script from Aaron Sorkin and a cast of acting marvels, Fincher delivers a work that enthralls audiences with its narrative intricacy as much as it affects them with its resonant themes.

The film depicts the true story of how Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) co-founded Facebook in 2003 with friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) until he faced charges of intellectual property theft from Saverin and other web designers.

The script is masterful, sifting through the non-fictional accounts of history to discover the profundity at the heart of Facebook’s development. Sorkin takes great, rewarding risks with his narrative structure, leaping back and forth in time and across vast geographical distances to leave viewers with a refreshingly balanced perspective.

Eisenberg’s turn as Zuckerberg is a visceral, almost mystifying performance. This cockroach of a character is so motivated and yet his focus seems unclear. It’s not money or fame that he’s after. As Eisenberg so deftly demonstrates, Zuckerberg merely seeks social acceptance. By the film’s finale, he becomes an unstoppable force against an immovable object, as Eisenberg gracefully reminds us that genius won’t necessarily buy you happiness if you’re not happy being alone.

Fincher’s directorial acumen shines through every frame. His unique visual style, coupled with his impeccable sense of rhythm, guides viewers through a story comprised mostly of talking. His novel cinematic eye splendidly conceives a remarkable script that could have been adapted in so many wrong ways.

As it exceeds the towering expectations that have preceded it, the film is a triumph and certainly one of the best of the year. And if you beg to differ, well then you’re probably still using MySpace.

Director: David Fincher

Writers: Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), Ben Mezrich (book)

Cast: Rooney Mara  ...  Erica 

Andrew Garfield  ...  Eduardo Saverin 

Jesse Eisenberg  ...  Mark Zuckerberg 

Rashida Jones  ...  Marylin Delpy 

Brenda Song  ...  Christy Lee 

Justin Timberlake  ...  Sean Parker 

Joseph Mazzello  ...  Dustin Moskovitz 

Malese Jow  ...  Alice 

Source: (wateen.net)