The Social Network

Never before has a film surprised me as much as this one did. Utter exasperation and disinterest were my initial reactions to the news that a movie about Facebook was being made. I soon, however, realized how very wrong my first impression was, and was reminded once again that I should never judge a book by its cover. Or rather, a movie by its seemingly ridiculous premise. “The Social Network,” or “The Facebook Movie” as it is often called, was an amazing picture, and was an example of modern filmmaking at its finest. It was filled with riveting performances by a skilled cast, and was beautifully written and directed. This is most certainly a drama worth seeing, and will no doubt take a few Oscars home for its trouble.

Part of what made this film so wonderfully mesmeric was the great acting. All of the performances in the film were expertly done, and impressed the heck out of me. Jesse Eisenberg, who recently starred in “Zombieland,” has truly broken out of his shell for this film. He was truly captivating in his performance as Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, and played his odious and hateful character amazingly and in a curiously likeable way. Justin Timberlake has finally proven to me that he can, in fact, act, and he portrayed Sean Parker, the creator of Naptser, marvelously, with zest and charisma. In this film, I was actually most interested in Andrew Garfield’s performance, as he is set to play the new Spider-man in the upcoming 2012 reboot. I was at first quite skeptical of him, but now I’m sure that Spider-man is in good hands. Armie Hammer, through some camera stunts, played both of the Winklevoss twins, and he played them superbly.

The film is filled with outstanding actors, but that isn’t necessarily enough to make a good movie. The winning formula also requires skilled writing and direction, which I am pleased to say it contained in excess. The film was astonishingly well-written by Aaron Sorkin, a screenwriter and playwright well-known for his rapid-fire dialogue and extended monologues. He made the film witty and smart, and gave the actors plenty of opportunities to open up and really express themselves. The film was adeptly directed by David Fincher, the genius who created “Se7en,” and a man who specializes in making dark and stylish thrillers. He certainly pulled through on this one, and he gave the whole picture a polished, high quality look that really stays with you after you leave the theater.

For such an ostensibly terrible idea, a movie about Facebook turned out to be one of the best films of the year. “The Social Network” contained outstanding writing and was brilliantly directed, and had an incredible cast. It deserves ten out of ten stars.