Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
Without a doubt, Facebook has changed the landscape of the internet ever since its debut in 2003. Its even changed what happens when you meet new people, usually you'll hear a "Facebook me" instead of a request for a phone number. Its now become somewhat socially taboo when someone tells you that they don't use Facebook for any variety of reasons. As it turns out, the creation and first few years of the worlds most popular of social network were a rather turbulent affair. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood would manufacture a dramatized version of that story.
Don't worry, not that dramatized.
Jesse Eisenberg fills the shoes of the site's creator, Mark Zuckerberg. He's a somewhat awkward college student with a knack for computer programming. After being dumped by a girlfriend, he goes on a drunken blogging rampage about his recent ex. He also creates a simple site, called Facemash, meant to demean female students. The site quickly gathers so much traffic that it crashes the university's computer network. Zuckerburg and a couple friends soon realize how a social networking site could catch on. Along with some (alleged) inspiration from a pair of twins trying to start their own site, Mark and his friends soon create "The Facebook". It becomes wildly popular, and the rest is history. Oh, and Zuckerburg's former friends and business partners file millions of dollars in lawsuits against him for intellectual property infringement and for selling off most of one of the founder's stock.
The film is presented by cutting back and fourth between disposition for the lawsuits, and pivotal events in Facebook's history, and events relevant to the lawsuit. Its a simple format, but its very well done. The disposition scenes only make up a small percentage, but the film would have felt completely different without them.
The biggest thing The Social network has going for it is the cast. All of the lead actors are superb. Andrew Garfield plays Eduardo Saverin, one of Mark's early business partners. Justin Timberlake is good as the smarmy Sean Parker, founder of the controversial Napster music sharing site who moved on to Facebook. Jesse Eisenburg's Zuckerberg is definitely an interesting character. At first, the self righteous college student kind of gets on your nerves. By the end of the film, you feel a little better about him, but still can't help but thinking he a bit of a jerk.
Bottom Line: 8/10: The Social Network is an interesting film about the people who changed social networking forever. The real life versions of these characters have seen the film, and have said that the events and characters were altered a bit. I can't say its 100% accurate as to how Facebook came to be and its struggles along the way, but it sure is entertaining.
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