Movie Review: The Social Network
Movie Review: The Social Network (2010)
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara
Plot: In 2003, Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) sat down and began coding what would eventually become the modern day social network phenomenon called Facebook. However, you don’t become the youngest billionaire in the world without stepping on a few toes…or stabbing a few people in the back.
His CFO (Garfield) helps fund the project, and along the way Mark meets up with Napster founder Sean Parker (Timberlake). However, it turns out that several Harvard students – including his CFO – are also suing him. It’s a little sloppy in the editing, but eventually you get that the movie is a series of flashbacks to Facebook’s beginnings and the modern situation – where Mark’s a billionaire and and fighting two lawsuits.
Mark’s not a likable character at all, and while I’ve never met Mark Zuckerberg in person, I can’t imagine how someone can be so off-putting and make it through life with any friends. The opening to the movie is very quick and almost difficult to follow, but the point is made quickly when Mark is dumped by his girlfriend (Mara) because of just how much of a jerk ass he can be. The motivation behind facebook’s creation is implied to be inspired by this situation – love can be a powerful motivator. But we only ever see Mara at the beginning, middle, and very end (sort of) of the flick. The story is so disjointed and lacking in flow that it’s almost sloppy.
The Social Network is a sloppy movie with an unlikable main character and poor editing making the movie harder to follow than it needs to be. The purpose of the movie seems to be less about the formation of a cultural movement and more about how little everyone – and therefore, you the audience – likes Mark. But as we learn more about the people who are suing Mark for his intillectual property, we find that these supporting characters are equally unlikable. In fact, the only character I could identify with was the girlfriend – for all of 5 minutes of screen time she has in the movie.
Rooney Mara is shaping up to be an up-and-coming actress, as she’s already been cast to play Lisbeth in the American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Although, going from the rejector of a super nerd to the goth hacker in that story will be quite the transformation. Personally, I don’t think remakes are really necessary (and am currently not a fan of the trailers for Let Me In making it out to be a horror flick, because the original was a very cute coming-of-age romance. A review for that will be forthcoming).
In summary, The Social Network is totally skippable.
Interesting that you didn’t like it, interestingly no one seems to be on the fence about this one, either they love it or they hate it.
From a storytelling perspective it was sloppy. The character doesn’t under-go any change or journey. He starts off an unlikable ass and the movie ends with him being an unlikable ass. They even try to be clever by putting in a line saying, “Hey Mark, you’re not an asshole. You’re just trying very hard to be.”
What does that even mean?!
The dude stabbed every one of his friends in the back and they never said why. Did he not like them, was he careless, was he just unaware, was he just obsessed with the site and everything else was on everyone else? His sole motivation in the movie was this website (and it’s implied, trying to impress the girl he insulted and who dumped him). So why the attitude and why the screwing over of your friends?
The movie should’ve been called “This is why you should hate Mark Zuckerberg.”