You've gotta 'Like' this Facebook movie

The Social Network
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer
Written by: Aaron Sorkin (adapted from Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires)

Can a movie about the founding of Facebook, a movie that is filled with lawsuits, depositions, and computer geniuses wiring-in, be somehow interesting? Thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s terrific script, The Social Network is not just interesting; it is compelling, at times funny, and full of superb dialogues. Ever since Juno came about, I’ve never seen a better-scripted movie like The Social Network.

I’m going to use so many superlatives in reviewing one of the best movies of the year simply because the film is just wonderful in many ways. For instance, I’d bet my money on Aaron Sorkin to win the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. His lightning-speed script effortlessly touches on many contemporary themes like internet addiction, greed, and our perpetual need to be connected, all the while being intermittently witty and constantly smart. From the very first scene, a scene that instantly shows us Zuckerberg’s personality and motives in this movie, you know that you’re into something great.

The performances in this film are nothing short of fascinating. Justin Timberlake shows off his charms and seductive voice to portray the disarmingly cool Sean Parker, future-Spiderman Andrew Garfield portrays the underappreciated Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg himself gives a mesmerizing performance. Eisenberg perfectly maintains that stiff and expressionless face of a geeky dork, but with a pair of restless eyes signaling how his sharp mind jumps quickly from one thought to another. He definitely deserves an Oscar Best Actor nom. For the rest the cast, we get to see some computer-generated magic in the Winklevoss twins who are played by two actors (one of them a body double) but acted by one. This actor who plays 2 characters, Armie Hammer, is in for a star-making turn by showing both a passionate performance and an action-hero physique.

The Social Network also boasts one of the best soundtracks of the year, composed by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nail and Atticus Ross. The ambient soundtrack perfectly captures the essence and pace of the film, and unlike many other soundtracks, you can enjoy it as much without watching the accompanying scenes as you would while you’re watching the film.

So much credit has to be given to one of the coolest filmmakers working today, David Fincher. I’ve always been a great fan of his movies, most notably Seven and Fight Club, and I think he has reached a new height with The Social Network. It is a timely, brilliant, and thoroughly engaging piece of masterpiece.

My Rating: 9/10