It’s not very often that a movie comes along that takes my expectations, balls them up, throws them in the flaming dumpster and screams in my face, “Listen up maggot because I have something to show you!” Enter; “The Social Network.”
While the impact of having an inanimate object yell at me using its best impression of that guy from The History Channel’s “Mail Call” usually fades, the impact of this film did not.
In a word, “The Social Network” is smart. It mixes brilliant writing, spot on acting, and clever commentary on its own source material in a way that leaves the reader with more food for thought than they thought they would have gotten from a movie that some folks may simply see as, “The Facebook movie.”
The first thing that stood out to me was the dialogue of Mark Zuckerberg’s character, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Every line spoken carries a sort of confidence to it. All throughout the movie Eisenberg takes the confidence and never breaks from it. Only on two occasions do you ever see this cold demeanor break and that is during arguably the emotional climax of the film. All the other acting is well done. Justin Timberlake plays the smooth opportunistic and slightly paranoid Sean Parker, founder of popular website Napster.com and former adviser for Facebook Inc., perfectly. Along with Andrew Garfield playing Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, the acting is spot on.
The soundtrack of the film is also well done. While there is no real title track ala films like the “Harry Potter” series, every track felt like it belonged there. Each song was there to set the mood. When college kids are zip-lining off the top of a house into a pool below, the music is upbeat, and when Zuckerberg is in negotiations with his best friend, who is suing him for $300 million dollars, the music becomes somber to match.
What is most interesting about the film is that it is chock-full with messages, and in some cases, it even seems to criticize its own source material. For example, it touches upon things like a change in social interaction through Facebook, like a crazy girlfriend getting angry that her boyfriends relationship status still says “single.” With a “Citizen Kane- esque” flavor, the movie also touches on things like the cost of power and the desperate reclamation of the things you have lost. The final scene in particular, is reminiscent of the Rosebud revelation at the end of “Citizen Kane.”
What really confounded my expectations was the way it portrayed Zuckerberg’s character throughout the film. Throughout, he is portrayed as both a visionary and a villain, like he is the only one who has it all figured out and because of it, has to leave the people behind who haven’t quite caught up yet. Throughout the film, he appears to be nothing but cold and calculating and he never breaks from that. The only time he shows any remorse is when another character says he did. The choice in direction is interesting and creates a character that is not without sympathy but also ambitious and in some ways, immature.
In my not so humble opinion, “The Social Network” should be already thrown in the running for “Best Picture” consideration at the Oscar’s. Much like “Forrest Gump”, “The Social Network” tells the story of a generation and at the same time condemns it. Only time will tell if this film can stand up and be counted among the other amazing films it pulls some of its inspiration from.
Contact Troy Patton at [email protected]
