I remember back in 2004, I was living in my college dorm room and my roommate had told me about something called Facebook. And then before I knew it everyone was talking about it. This internet phenomenon has continued to grow and now everyone has a Facebook account. And after all these years I never stopped think about the story behind this social network that changed not only the internet, but society as well. Well now that story has been told.
Mark Zuckerberg was just a brainy Harvard student who talked too much both on his blog and in real life. But when his girlfriend dumps him for being an ass Mark has the idea to create a site that would let people interact with each other, let them post party pictures, and see what a person’s relationship status is. Of course two Harvard meat heads, otherwise known as the Winklevoss twins, say they came up with the idea for Facebook and Mark stole it from them. But this lawsuit is nothing compared to Mark’s best friend Eduardo suing him for wedging him out of Facebook just as it was taking off. Eduardo can thank Napster creator Sean Parker for coming between him and his best friend. This plot had more friction and drama than an sour status update.
I’d like to start out by saying I feel like this film is Wall Street for this generation, despite that the sequel to Wall Street was just released. Director David Fincher helped guide this film into something more than just a movie about a puffy networking site. The film had real grit to it, and Finch’s detail to perfection with multiple takes shows up on screen. I feel like The West Wing creator, Aaron Sorkin, could also be seen on screen as the writer for this film. The dialogue was fast and intense, especially from Zuckerberg. Fincher’s direction and Sorkin’s words helped take this film to a different level, but I think the icing on the cake was the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, which kept the drama at high tensions throughout most of the film.
Fincher and Sorkin’s hard work wouldn’t have paid off if it wasn’t for the terrific cast to make it all come alive. The very first scene of the film you could tell Jesse Eisenberg had his work cut out for him playing Mark Zuckerberg. Eisenberg had to talk fast because Zuckerberg’s brain worked fast. He had to show how closed off and cold Zuckerberg could be, but still find some sense of friendship inside of him when it came to his showdown with Eduardo. I don’t think Mark Zuckerberg was too far of a stretch from the characters Eisenberg usually plays, but it is definitely his best work so far.
Andrew Garfield plays Eduardo, Mark’s best friend, and I think this film is great launching pad for audiences to get familiar with this actor because he’s signed on to be the new Peter Parker in the next Spider-Man film, which is already in development. Garfield’s character was the only one that I felt was genuine and was an overall nice guy. And on the other side of scale was Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker. Timberlake played Parker as such a slime, as he weasels his way between Mark and Eduardo, and into a billion dollar company. But Timberlake plays the part so well I don’t think anyone could have said no to the Napster creator.
Finally, as I watched this young cast something didn’t set right with about the Winklevoss twins on screen, and when I got home to research the film I found out why. The parts were played by two unrelated actors, Armie Hammer and Josh Pence, but through special effects Fincher was able to get Hammer’s face over Pence’s in post production. Why Fincher didn’t just try to find two twin actors for the roles I’m looking forward to finding out on the DVD.
This film can be seen as a fall out between two friends, a scorned man looking to get back at those he felt wronged him, or the rough start of a corporate empire. In any event, I like that Fincher lets the audience make up their own mind as to whether Mark Zuckerberg was an asshole, or just a man oblivious to his own ambitions. One thing is for sure, after you see this film you’ll think twice before the next time you type in your password.
Rating: A
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