Rating: M
Running Time: 121 minutes
Release Date: 28 October 2010
Check cinema guide for times and locations
Ok so everyone knows by now what The Social Network movie is about, if not you are probably not one of the 500 million plus people who are signed up to Facebook. Based on the book Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich (Ugly Americans, Bringing Down the House) known for writing easily digestible accounts of the meteoric rise of gen Y guys in the formulaic haze of sex, money and power. Its intoxicating stuff even if it is removed from reality or the truth. Who knows and who cares and like the book this movie is pretty engaging and sensational, probably because its exactly like the book. The only difference in storytelling by screen writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) is an emphasis on the court room drama and the use of flashbacks to introduce characters and change the sequencing of how events was presented.
For those not familiar with the story, Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) creates The Facebook in 2003 with the financial assistance of his friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield ) in return for a 30% share in the venture. However before secretly creating The Facebook he agrees to be a programmer for yet to be developed competing social networking website called Harvard Connection. When the founders of Harvard Connection, twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer plays both parts) and their business partner Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), hear of The Facebook’s launch they are out for revenge. The twins are initially reluctant to pursue legal action and as they debate the merits and try other avenues of recourse, Facebook’s popularity grows expotentially and starts expanding to other colleges in the US and eventually overseas. After a meeting between Zuckerberg, Saverin and the enigmatic co-founder of Napster, Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), Zuckerberg decides to move the base of operation to Palo Alto, California where Parker resides. Here things turn ugly and Saverin gets squeezed out of the company and he and the Winklevoss twins both end up filing lawsuits.
Like the book it is zippy and has all the hooks of sex, money, power mixed with the intoxication of alcohol to titilate the senses and draw you into a world that you covet but unlikely to ever be a part of. And if you are a male it’s a definite Dick Flick! It’s also about betrayal, ambition, what value you place on friendship all the while trying to find your fit in the world. Zuckerberg managed to create a world where people could connect on whatever facade they chose to represent themselves based on his own desire to belong.
Eisenberg (Adventureland) was cast perfectly as the geeky, socially awkward IT nerd and Timberlake (Get Smart) was surprisingly good as the slick and sleazy Parker. Directed by David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club) this film sees him re teaming with the Fight Club Director of Photography to deliver a slick and punchy product. Alan Sorkin’s adapted screenplay is true to his style with heightened court room tension and repartee as evidenced in his previous work such as A Few Good Men. Sorkin also manages to bring all the books characters alive from the silver spooned twins to the edgy shyster Parker and the rapid fire dialogue delivered by Zuckerberg is brilliant with many quotable lines to chose from. However I did find Saverin’s character lacked some believability in that someone who was so savvy with investments just kept handing over money to Zuckerberg without any question. Also great performances from the relatively unknown young cast including Armie Hammer (Gossip Girl) Max Minghella (Syriana) and Andrew Garfield (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus)
4/5 stars
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