Social Network | Film Review

Story by Dylan Bliss 

| Published Oct 5, 2010

Hindsight is often a shaky tool when allocating who deserves credit for building an empire. In Facebook’s case, the creator has always made his contributions evident, and the focus of “The Social Network” is essentially about the best friends and worst enemies who want nothing but to “sit on Mark Zukerberg’s shoulders to feel tall.”

With a script expertly penned by Aaron Sorkin and an ever-fresh perspective provided by beloved director David Fincher, this movie soars above the autumn’s early crop of award-grabbers with style and ease.

What’s immediately striking about this film is the honesty in which it portrays the ivy league campus. In the opening shots of the film, Zuckerberg hastily writes the code that will soon birth Facebook while scenes of dignified delinquency in an exclusive Harvard club party weave atop a throbbing soundtrack provided by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

Another surprising aspect presents itself in the performances offered by near-amateurs Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake. Eisenberg burns more than his share of lawyers and high-ups with some seriously genius-induced wit, although Sorkin’s script rings true for all the players throughout.

If you want to remain excited about the intellectual treasures this film has to offer, refrain from comparing it to thrill rides like “Inception” or stark indie-dramas like “Winter’s Bone.” The connection between these vastly different films can leave an indelible mark on its bio-pic prowess this year.

If you’re at all interested in the not-so-accurate trials and tribulations of building a billion-dollar social empire, “The Social Network” is worth the visit.