The Social Network

Even as I watched The Social Network, I was sure that it was the best film of 2010. I had been reluctant to see it, I thought that the idea of the creation of Facebook was an unfilmable idea, and that it would be replete with adult musings on what a social network means. However, probably through the writing and direction, The Social Network managed to be totally engrossing and representative of something greater than 'how facebook came about'. Just how Citizen Kane is not just about a newspaper industry rise, and how All the King's Men is not just about the creation of a political power, The Social Network is actually about human nature. Imagine: an idea that can win you millions of dollars. Friends drift away, everything drifts away with this in view. We see the degeneration of Mark Zuckerberg (Jess Eisenberg) into a millionaire. We watch his friends realize who he really is. We watch Zuckerberg's intelligence get the better of him (and everyone else). Who are we really when what we want most is right in front of us? Who do we become? What lies will we tell? What if those lies make sense? The film beautifully plots out the different paths we can choose to take at a certain point in our lives. For Zuckerberg, he is seduced by the creator of Napster (he sees the future). For his friends, they are seduced by morality and just cause (they fall behind). What about us? The audience. What do we see within this Facebook medium that we all use? Apart from the questions it raises, The Social Network also manages to engross us in cutting dialogue. I also mention that Armie Hammer as the Winklevoss twins should have gotten more accolades, they are brilliant movie characters. In my favorite scene, the twins are in a rowboat race that is filmed so beautifully (like the rest of the film) that we forget about who will win (as our minds are on Zuckerberg--the bigger picture). But the twins lose and we see their frustration, we see them finally come out of dignity. The Social Network is the best film of 2010, it was directed by David Fincher.
The Social Network: ★★★★