Jesse Eisenberg stars as Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network."
You may very well walk out of the theater after seeing “The Social Network” and think “Wow! That Zuckerberg guy is a genius!” Or you might think, “What a moron!” Or both.
That’s why I think the new film about the founding/founders of Facebook is so compelling.
It’s an interesting tale of the genesis of a social phenomenon. It’s well-told, well-organized, well-acted. It’s hard to find a flaw in David Fincher’s film, based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich.
“The Social Network” opened in theaters on Friday. It chronicles the evolution of Facebook, from the Harvard dorm room of computer geek Mark Zuckerberg to the creative workspaces of Silicon Valley.
In the end, everyone gets it — a multi-million dollar payday, that is. But you’re left to wonder:
- Does Facebook owe its existence to a clever business proposition or an act of hubris?
- Does greed necessarily trump friendship?
- Is Zuckerberg — The Father of Facebook — a hero, villain or just misunderstood?
- What does Facebook’s colossal growth/success say about human nature?
“The Social Network” also is fascinating for its exploration of creativity, innovation and motivation. And how basic human needs such as affirmation, love, sex, and acceptance can be the catalyst for success and hardball tactics, in business as well as in life.
Already the movie has generated a variety of takes:
New media expert Jeff Jarvis calls it the “antisocial” movie: “The movie quickly admits that money doesn’t matter to Zuckerberg. So why did he build Facebook? The Social Network offers no answer, except perhaps that an outsider wanted in, but that doesn’t begin to explain what he has accomplished and why; that’s nothing but simplistic prime-time plotting. The script says nothing about him wanting to connect the world or bring communities elegant organization. It doesn’t care. For this is a movie about tactics, not strategy, about people doing hard things to each other. Elsewhere, that’s just called business.”
Oregonian film critic Shawn Levy considers it a “massive achievement”: “Shot to shot, scene to scene, “The Social Network” nearly never puts a foot wrong or, really, does anything to make you feel less than compelled. You may not want to live inside Mark Zuckerberg’s head, you may not care for Facebook, but you’ll be drawn into the world of the film utterly.”
I also enjoyed reading the review by Ashley Christie of The Commuter at LBCC: “‘The Social Network‘ wasn’t what I expected, it was a lot better. It’s a brilliant movie that tells a fascinating story by exploring common themes we’re all familiar with.”
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Related articles
- ‘The Social Network’ debuts with $23 million (ctv.ca)
- Jesse Eisenberg gives voice to Mark Zuckerberg (Los Angeles Times)
