In lieu of a review for ‘The Social Network‘, I am adding it to my collection of Movies to Study. As always, there are a good amount of spoilers here to provide thorough analysis.
I intend to say that ‘The Social Network’ is a film driven by its screenplay (by Aaron Sorkin, based on Ben Mezrich’s novel), and that it is very much an achievement in writing more than anything else; however, all aspects of this film are astounding and it makes one complete package that leaves such a lasting impression because it is a situation (Facebook) which is still evolving.
So we begin with Mark (Jesse Eisenberg) talking to Erica (Rooney Mara) at a bar. He thinks fast. He talks fast. We are, as Erica is, slightly baffled. She mentions that he says so many things at once she “doesn’t know which one to aim for.” Yet Mark isn’t one of those geniuses who completely lacks social skills. He can socialize, but the rate at which he spits out his thoughts is overwhelming, yet if they were dissected it’s clear there is a common thread. He’s not speaking just to get rid of air. This scene in its entirety is a wonder in itself. But this also sets the groundwork of what the film is about: relationships.
Of course, this means Mark’s relationships with a few key people: Erica, the Winklevoss twins, Eduardo Saverin, and Sean Parker.
The framework of the film is that two different people are suing Mark over his success with Facebook. The first is the Winklevoss twins, played by Armie Hammer. In a script lush with one-liners, the Winklevosses (“Winklevi”) are comic relief. They are, in essence, the opposite of Mark. They come from money, are 6-foot-5, members of the most prestigious honors clubs, and row crew in the Olympics. They have an idea, but lack any of the real programming talent to make it happen. They just have money and are accustomed to having success. That’s why they bring Mark in. That’s why, when broken down, Mark despises them so much by the time of the lawsuit.
The second lawsuit is by Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), who was allegedly Mark’s only and best friend. He is suing because he was the CFO of Facebook and royally screwed out of his shares by Mark intentionally, possibly out of petty jealousy.
This framework of the lawsuits is effective because, while the film itself never drags, they serve as punctuation marks to scenes. One of the best of these is during Mark and Eduardo’s first meeting with Sean Parker, where Sean says “You know what’s cooler than a million dollars?” Then he starts to say “A” and it cuts to Eduardo, the witness to Sean’s seduction, finishing, “billion dollars.”
Eduardo is truly the sad story of the film. He is, by all accounts, a good friend. He tells Mark the truth, he works hard to get money (though ineffective, as he is), and he was friends with Mark before Mark was rich. And yet, by the end, he gets screwed completely. The Winklevoss twins, we don’t care so much about them because they will always have success and didn’t really do much in the first place, but Eduardo pulls our empathy because so many of us would do what he did for our good friend.
The film can be divided into two real stages, each determined by whom is driving Mark. In the first half of the film it’s the Winklevoss twins igniting an idea and getting him going, but once Mark meets Sean Parker (the Justin Timberlake role), things change completely.
The first time I watched ‘The Social Network’ I was, for lack of a better phrase, taken in by Sean. He was charismatic. He had style. He had jokes and talked smoothly. I liked him, as did Mark. But the second time I watched the film he was a knife pricking me in my side over and over until he drew blood at the 1,000,000 user party. Knowing what happened in the end changed the perspective completely, and again, this makes us feel worse for Eduardo when we know that it was probably Sean’s idea to reduce his share percentage. There are moments to question the validity of Sean Parker directly in the film. Sure, we know he basically invented music piracy, but remember when he randomly shows up at Mark’s door in California and says he was staying across the street? Can we really believe such a coincidence?
David Fincher is a such an astute director. This film is so cleanly cut and moves so effortlessly through the lives of its characters that one has to commend Fincher. I could be labeled a “fan,” as I love his 2007 movie ‘Zodiac.’ Similar themes appear in both films, as they are about the obsession of one person and how it affects the lives of others. In ‘Zodiac’ it was about a man trying to find a killer’s identity, and here it is about a man trying to engrave his name not only in today’s internet, but in a network that will last for a very long time.
I have not said much about Jesse Eisenberg’s performance. I am not particularly a fan of his work, as he seems naturally arrogant, but wow, does that work here. It is a perfect fit for Mark. He didn’t come from wealth like the Winklevoss twins, but in his mind he works just as hard as they do, but he is determined to work within his own parameters. From the beginning of the timeline of the film until the last moment (chronologically), his attitude doesn’t change. He doesn’t care about the money, but only his work. That is a concept none of the other characters can understand.
When ‘The Social Network’ was announced, a friend of mine said, “Really? A movie based on Facebook?” This was around the time they started announcing movies based on board games and the like. Facebook may be the selling point of the movie, but it is about the people who invented and shaped it. Many things are going on, but any good movie is really about people, and it would be tough to find a better one than ‘The Social Network’ for 2010.
