Review: The Social Network

Director David Fincher's The Social Network stars Jesse Eisenberg as America's youngest billionaire- Mark Zuckerberg- the founder of Facebook. The film begins in the Fall of 2003 at Harvard University, during the spark of an idea manufactured by twin rowers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss (played by Armie Hammer) about an exclusive Harvard social networking site called HarvardConnection. Zuckerberg, a brilliant yet obnoxious Harvard student known for his skills with computer programming, was approached by the Winklevoss twins about this idea with the hopes of aiding them in the creation. Having the creative, self-centered mind that he does, Mark ran with this idea on his own time with the financial aid of his best man Eduardo (Andrew Garfield). Mark and Eduardo improved on the ideas of the Winklevoss twins, renaming and expanding not only the capabilities of the site, but the users' locations. It doesn't take long for this situation to bring success, betrayal, and lawsuits to the feet of Mark and Eduardo- making this biographical Drama a must see. Besides having subject material that millions of people across the globe can relate with, The Social Network is topped with perfect casting, music, plot, and leading performances that leave its audience indulged. Though Jesse Eisenberg (much like Michael Cera) has played the same nerdy, likable nitwit in nearly all of his prior roles, for the time being it's still working; he was everything his character needed to be to force the audience to remain on board and like him more than they hated him. Additionally, all of the supporting roles could not have been better cast. By the end of the film there is a clear distinction between which characters the viewers love and which they hope fail miserably due to greed. Above the film's surface material, The Social Network does a marvelous job of simulating the drive that is in all of us to not only survive, but exceed the norm. Much like Scorcese's ability to portray the luxury and the insanity of a billionaire in the making (i.e. The Aviator), Fincher captures the life of fame and obsession flawlessly, earning The Social Network 3 1/2 stars.