Movie Review: The Social Network(2010)

9.5/10 The Social Network may or may not become the modern classic that previous David Fincher films such as Seven and Fight Club did, but at least for now, it remains an essential viewing experience for understanding not only modern communication, but also modern business. It concerns the seemingly sudden rise of genuis computer whiz Mark Zuckerberg onto the world stage by being the ipso facto creator of the society-changing website Facebook.com. But what it is really about is Zuckerberg's ambivalent personality and character. Adapted from the book The Accidental Billionaires, The Social Network is more of a character study than anything else: Jesse Eisenberg's Zuckerberg is teeming with ambition, brilliance, and leadership qualities, but a vile pettiness and selfishness undercuts nearly every single achievement he accomplishes in the film. Of course he's not the only one: the opportunistic Winklevoss twins claim he stole their idea, and Napster creator Sean Parker comes off as perhaps the slimiest of all the characters, riding the coattails of Zuckerberg  for all the money, sex, and drugs he can get. The only ethically sound guy in the whole enterprise is Zuckerberg's best friend Eduardo Saverin(perhaps not coincidentally a consultant on the book), who gets so royally screwed over by Zuckerberg that we feel the same catharsis as he does when he smashes his "friend's" computer to the floor. And yet, Zuckerberg's thorny pretensions are something to behold and at the end, we even feel a little sorry for him. It's important to note that Aaron Sorkin, the writer of the film, has made no secret about the fact that some of the material is blatantly false and full of what great director Werner Herzog might call "ecstatic truth". In other words, this film isn't necessarily about the events depicted themselves, but about what they mean. Do you have to be this selfish to be this brilliant? Do you have to be this ruthless to be this successful? and finally.... Have we all been brainwashed into joining the biggest social club in the world, created by an asocial genuis? and if so, What does that mean for society? These and many important contemporary issues are addressed in this brilliant film. It may not be worth owning unless you are a big Fincher or Sorkin fan, but it is a must-see for everyone. Get it at Redbox. 5WW4M8EZPFWY