The Social Network

Tagline: You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.

Release Date: 1st of October 2010

Director: David Fincher

Main Cast Members: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Arnie Hammer x2, Justin Timberlake

The Social Network (TSN) tells the story of how Facebook was created and is an adaption of the Novel ‘The Accidental Billionaires’ by Ben Mezrich. In TSN we follow the life of Mark Zuckerberg as he attends Harvard University. To make his ex-girlfriend take notice of him he decides he needs to do something huge, after killing time creating face mash and offending all the women on campus, he is approached by the Winklevoss twins (Cameron and Tyler) and asked to help them with a social networking site called Harvard connection. Once he see’s their idea he decides to create a site of his own; ‘The Facebook’. We switch between the chronological creation of Facebook and two court cases. One in which Zuckerberg is being sued by Eduardo Saverin (co-founder) and one in which the Winklevoss’ are suing him for intellectual property theft.

I will start off by saying TSN is a film I have now watched in it’s entirety (and twice with directors commentary) 27 times. I truly think it is one of the best films to be released in years, and in this review I am going to tell you why you should to.

The plot is fantastic, not only does it keep the audience entertained in what could otherwise have been a fairly boring adaption, but most of it is true and based on actual court transcripts. We follow a down and out teenager with no interest in money or wealth (and yet plenty of it from his family) who just wants to be noticed, like any teenager, right? Wrong. Instead of getting drunk and making a fool of himself like most college kids, Mark wants to do something on a much larger scale. The trials and tribulations of making a website/business are difficult enough anyway, but when your best friend is suing you for 100 million dollars, as well as your biggest rivals who you did technically steal the idea from, it’s a whole lot harder. And yet throughout creation and most of the court cases, he doesn’t seem phased.

The cast are outstanding, and this surprised me on so many levels, and this is why:

• Jesse Eisenberg hasn’t done a lot that deserves any serious recognition. yes, Zombieland is great, and adventure land was entertaining, but serious acting hadn’t been his thing (and frankly still hasn’t since). But in TSN he just hits the nail on the head. He studied Zuckerberg intensely, and after watching many interviews with him myself I can tell you that throughout, he has that character nailed down.
• Andrew Garfield is a similar story, except with even less experience. He was an actor I had not even heard of until TSN. However since, I have watched ‘Boy A’, which is a fantastic piece of british independent cinema. However, he plays Saverin very well. Eduardo wouldn’t actually help out with making TSN, and a lot of details about his life and the result of the court cases are unknown, but as a character in general, Garfield plays him excellently.
• Justin Timberlake. Hey, Who groaned?! Well, me when i first saw his face in this film. But I shouldn’t have, and neither should you. He is a good actor, though it pains me to say it. He plays Sean Parker very well. He’s been to the top with the creation of Napster, and he’s been to the bottom with the inevitable lawsuits of Napster. He has had problems with drugs and underage girls in the past, and throughout Timberlake plays his part with an underlying tone of this. He made a good transition with alpha dog, and I hate to even admit that I have seen Friends With Benefits, but he played a rather convincing role in that as well.
• Rooney Mara. Another unheard of to most, but she plays a small and vital role that sets up the rest of the film. The opening scene is more important than you realise the first time you watch it, and the fact it is shot in a noisy bar doesn’t help. However, they shot that scene 99 times, and from what I have read, each scene was as good as the next and she is a joy to watch. (This of course was intensified in the incredibly different role of Lisbeth Sanders in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)

So as you can see, 4 cast members who haven’t done a lot (especially in terms of serious Oscar worthy acting) make this film what it is.

The writing is very well done, and even very dark at times. Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Newsroom) Is a very diverse writer, though this is a very serious film, i think the audience will agree it is not quite as such as The West Wing and yet Sorkin adapts the novel perfectly. To show the struggles of friendship intensified with the problems of business on screen like that without boring the audience on the business side and pandering them when it comes to the friendship is difficult, but he pulls it off.

I don’t know where to start when it comes to direction as Fincher has been my favourite director for a long time. From Fight club to Panic Room and from The Game to The Curious Case Of Benjamin button, his backcatalogue is diverse and highly rated (as long as we don’t talk about Alien 3). I have seen many interviews with Fincher in relation to TSN and to see how passionate he was about getting every little thing right is

inspiring. As I have preciously mentioned the opening scene was shot 99 times both with bar noise and without it, and the result is apparent from the get go. Each line is delivered to casually, as you would expect for a conversation which is occurring over beer between a boyfriend and girlfriend. Overall it is apparent that great care and attention was given to ever scene (even the few that Sorkin directed) and I honestly think even if another high class had tackled this script it just wouldn’t have worked. Fincher has that dark aura about his work and although this film is far from a thriller in terms of emotion and betrayal this is certainly a dark tone about it.

I rarely talk about soundtrack when it comes to ‘serious’ film, as most don’t give a reviewer a lot to talk about, however TSN is a film which has an outstanding soundtrack written by outstanding artists. TSN’s soundtrack was written by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Atticus Ross. I can honestly say there isn’t a single note that doesn’t match what is going on on screen at that exact moment. Whether it is ‘Hand Covers Bruise’ (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SBNCYkSceU) when Mark is walking back to his dorm from the bar or whether it is ‘In Motion’ as mark is working and his mind’s cogs are turning (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yczul_609Gg) there just isn’t a piece of music I can hear from this film without thinking of each scene second by second when I hear it.

Whenever I mention TSN to people who haven’t seen it, whether they are intelligent cinema goers or drunken friends in bars, a lot of people tend to say ‘Are you kidding?!! A movie about Facebook? No way.’ And even if you go into this film thinking that i can wholeheartadly promise it will change you.

There are few films that upon first inspection I can be truly impressed by cinematography but this was one of them. it is notable even to someone who just watches films to relax and not to scrutinize, that the visuals in this film have been very carefully thought out. Again, to mention the scene where Mark is walking back to his dorm from the bar, it is perfect, you take int he atmosphere of Harvard University (even though it wasn’t actually filmed there) and with the soundtrack on top you can just imagine what is going through Marks head. There are scenes towards the end I will not spoil, but when Mark is on the phone to Sean, he is one either side of the screen with every cut. this may not seem like much, but when you hear the subject matter of the call it just makes perfect sense, and if it wasn’t there you would be disappointed.

The Social Network is not a film about Facebook. Yes, it’s subject matter revolves around it but it needs to be remembered. TSN is a film about friendship, loyalty, and the betrayal that can occur when money, the passion to create and be someone and business are involved.

Overall, as I have said, The Social Network is quite possible one of the greatest films ever made, and whatever Fincher may direct in the future, I think it will be one of his finest works. I find no flaws in it’s writing, cinematography, cast, soundtrack and direction. I already own this film on blu ray and I would recommend that you do to. Buy this film, watch it, love it.

10/10.