Film Review: The Social Network

Once in a while, a film comes along that completely captures a generation, crafting a story both riveting and timely. With The Social Network, director David Fincher has gone above and beyond the awkward and seemingly gimmicky premise of the "Facebook movie" by giving us a film that leaps over all expectations. The Social Network is exactly what you want from a film, a virtuoso glimpse into the life of an incredibly complex young man.

The film is essentially a biopic (odd to say, when the subject is currently only 26), albeit with some slightly fictionalized twists, of Mark Zuckerberg, the world's youngest billionaire and founder of the ubiquitous Facebook. The film uses the two (biggest) legal cases surrounding Zuckerberg's creation of the site as a frame for the larger story, painting Zuckerberg's rise to power, beginning with his years as an undistinguished computer geek while attending Harvard University. Many critics have compared the film's central arch to Citizen Kane, and the comparison is incredibly apt; to go with another classic as a point of comparison, The Social Network is The Godfather of information age films.

David Fincher has proven his worth through numerous exceptional efforts - Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, among others. Fincher is one of my favorite directors still working, mainly because he is a true master at crafting atmosphere and a stark, compelling vision of our reality. His work in The Social Network is beautiful, gripping, and taut; there isn't a single moment where Fincher missteps. The production values are top-notch across the board - perfectly musty, moody cinematography; wonderful sound mixing; cohesive editing; and a dazzling score from Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails fame, that is pulsating and invigorating while never intrusive.

Fincher is also working with a knock-out cast. The most interesting element of the film's ensemble is that it features not a single A-list actor. As Mark Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg is now the front-runner for the Best Actor Oscar. This is a star-making turn for Eisenberg, giving Zuckerberg the deep emotional complexity and rough biting wit the part needed to succeed; it's a riveting portrait that not many actors could pull off. There's a slew of wonderful supporting male characters here too: Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man) as Zuckerberg's best friend Eduardo Saverin; Justin Timerblake as Napster founder Sean Parker; and Armie Hammer as both twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, using Fincher's CGI magic to make their scenes together possible (Josh Pence stood in as a body double). The women in the film are all adept, but aren't given much to work with as rather objectified roles in the lives of the driving male characters.

The true star of the film is Aaron Sorkin's brilliant screenplay. Based on Ben Mezrich's The Accidental Billionaires, Sorkin has crafted his best work yet. From the perfect opening scene, where Zuckerberg spars with girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara, recently cast by Fincher as Lisbeth Salander in Hollywood's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), throwing quick retorts at one another over beer, Sorkin sets his tone. The dialogue rips throughout the picture, some of the sharpest "talkie" material I've heard in a very long time. Sorkin added some fictional twists to strengthen the tale's arch (for instance, Erica Albright is a completely fictional character), but nothing feels false or manufactured. Sorkin's greatest achievement is his multifaceted treatment of Zuckerberg, showing him simultaneously as genius, asshole, nerd, misunderstood loser, compassionate friend, jealous friend, witty comedian, relentless worker, and an incredibly lonely young man.

Fincher and Sorkin, a dream team of cinematic glory, have composed the best film of the year. I left the theater on a giddy high. This is currently the feature to beat on Oscar night - a big bold Hollywood opus, a swift "thriller" for the mind, a hilarious dark comedy, and a compact emotional character piece. Fincher made a film that is not about Facebook, but about the men behind the beast. The film dives directly into their hearts, and it's often hard to watch the darkness that rests at the center. The Social Network is a shining example of modern filmmaking. But more than just high entertainment, the film is bound to generate heated discussion... much of which is likely to take place on Facebook itself. Mark Zuckerberg would be happy. A+