In today’s technology-fueled society the Internet has become somewhat of second world in which we all connect. If you can’t be traced by a search inquiry by Google you might as well not exist. It goes without saying that if the Internet were, in fact, a world of its own Facebook would surely be the ultimate social medium in which pretty much everyone interacts. The phrase “Facebook me” has become so incredibly common that it’s fairly rare to hear people exchange phone numbers anymore. It is absolutely astounding how a site like this can go from birth to public institution in just 7 years. It is exactly this astounding phenomenon that has peaked accomplished screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and become the subject of his latest film, “The Social Network”.
Sorkin’s most recent release tracks the creation and popularization of the social networking site by telling the story of the site’s creator, Mark Zuckerberg, who is played by Jesse Eisenberg. The story takes place as Zuckerberg is in the process of being sued by his former roommate and two of his former classmates. The plot unfolds as time jumps between present time and Zuckerberg’s college years. The story begins as the Harvard attendee is dumped by his then girlfriend who is tired of his obsession with the school’s final clubs, or prestigious societies of the student body, and whether or not he will get into one. In reaction to this news he creates a crass website that rates women based on their looks which becomes a rough basis for what would grow into the monolith social site.
One of the elements that have added to films appeal is the incredible character development that is prevalent throughout the movie. It sets itself apart from many contemporary films with its moderately fair portrayals of all the characters. This movie shies away from polarizing its characters as there’s no one who is entirely evil or mean yet everyone has their own degrees of dislike. It all makes for a very realistic finish and is most likely one of the reasons “The Social Network” is such a notable film.
There is, however one character that hasn’t been well balanced in terms of development. The character of Mark Zuckerberg quickly becomes a polarizing figure throughout the film. Zuckerberg is portrayed as a brilliant misanthrope somewhat comparable to Dr House without the drug problem. He’s got very few friends due to the fact that he treats everyone in regards as to what they can do for him instead of treating them like human beings. It’s this that lands him the two lawsuits that create the movie’s setting. He is shown as somewhat of a mad genius who is so set on his vision that he has no time for mere personal relationships. Mark is given little to no redeeming qualities, which is an odd route to take when portraying a protagonist.
While the attitude of the characters is incredibly impressive and at times polarizing, anyone who has seen the film will tell you that it’s the incredible dialogue that makes the film truly great. A good deal of the back and forth between characters is incredibly witty and quick, making for a movie that flows throughout without losing any energy. It’s as if writer, Aaron Sorkin used his dialogue to make up for a distinct lack of action sequences in order to tell his story. He creates memorable lines that help move the story along and keep the viewer interested. For example, as Zuckerberg talks in a legal meeting with two of the people that are suing him he says “I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try - but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention - you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing.” Its long intricate rants like this that Sorkin is famous for and one of the things that makes his writing so good.
Of course Sorkin’s work isn’t powerful enough to stand on its own, the absolutely amazing cast is what brings this movie to life. The brilliant performance by relative newcomer Andrew Garfield, who plays Zuckerberg’s early partner and friend, is really more like a second lead instead of that of a supporting actor. There’s the portrayal of the privileged, yet ambitious, Winklevoss twins who are both played by Armie Hammer and his body double. And then of course when it comes to playing the quirky geek there’s none better than Jesse Eisenberg. It seems like all of the larger actors were given the smaller roles, which is interesting in such a big budget film as this. NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” has lent Rashida Jones to play one of Mark’s lawyers, Justin Timberlake plays the rowdy creator of Napster, Sean Parker, even Aaron Sorkin himself makes a cameo as an ad exec.
While Sorkin often gets the spotlight for having written such great dialogue there really is credit due to the director, David Fincher, who’s no slouch. Responsible for such blockbusters as “Fight Club” or “The Curious Case of Benjamin” Button” there’s no wonder why this was such a highly anticipated film upon its release. The constantly seamless transitions between past and present make this film unique and interesting to watch. Overall the movie comes looking very clean and classy.
There is one major pitfall to this movie and that’s its ability to be compared to real life. When writing the movie Sorkin had two choices, he could either write a movie loosely based on Facebook that could exist purely in a realm of fiction or he could write a movie that is entirely based on Facebook that must be compared to reality. Now there is nothing wrong with either scenario but there are certain requirements and outcomes for each. The first scenario allows the viewer to watch the film as an objective piece of art; the latter however requires factual accuracy to hold the viewer. This is where the movie falls short.
We’ve all seen the real Mark Zuckerberg on television and in interviews and it is very hard to believe that this is the same ruthless misanthrope represented in the film. Another portrayal that is off is that of Sean Parker who is not, as the movie states, the founder of Napster but an early employee rather. Parker, played by Justin Timberlake, is portrayed as a rock star playboy who has a few screws loose upstairs. Chances are you’ve probably never seen Sean Parker but if you take the time to Google him you’ll find that he’s no more than your average nerd. Upon questioning about the movie's portrayal of him he said the movie was a complete work of fiction and that he wishes his life were that cool.
When word first started spreading that Hollywood was making a film about Facebook, the idea seemed almost absurd. It made zero sense as to why someone would make a film about something as meaningless as a website. After watching this film, however, one realizes that to our generation Facebook has grown into something more. Facebook is, for a lot of people, an extremely important tool in social interaction. It’s become exactly what the movie says Zuckerberg set out to do, that is to put the entire college experience online. The only thing is that Facebook has somehow surpassed containing the college experience and set out to capture the entire human experience. Today there are more that 500 million active users on Facebook who collectively spend 700 billion minutes per month logged in. This has far surpassed being “just a website”.
