My Review of The Social Network

Over the weekend I saw The Social Network.  I have to admit, there was a certain irony of watching it alone (but I was in Toronto for the Eighth Letter Conference and thought why not). So here’s my quick review:

All in all, I liked the movie, I really did. I did feel that Rolling Stone Magazine exaggerated it a bit by calling it the best movie of the year and it defines the decade but I really liked Inception and have never played Mafia Wars, so I am biased and not really qualified. The movie is entertaining, contains an excellent script, solid acting and it tells a good story of something obviously relevant to me and to many.

Frankly, I like Facebook. I think part of my appreciation for it is due to the fact that I don’t take it too seriously. Watching its alleged origin story is a fun trip that brings up the topics of ingenuity, brilliance, betrayal, revenge, and the pursuit of wealth and fame. That said, it was hard for me to really sympathize with many of the characters. In fact, the only one that I felt for was Mark Zuckerberg’s ex-girlfriend, Erica Albright – the way her character served the movie was excellent. She was probably on screen for all of 7 minutes but her character released Zuckbererg’s drive and ambition.

Don’t get me wrong, Zuckerberg’s character is very entertaining, extremely witty and Jesse Eisenberg does a fantastic job bringing him to life. There’s been a lot of criticism from the Facebook groupies that it’s an unfair portrayal of Mark but I have to say, I think I like him more now.

Honestly, I’ve been surprised that some people think this movie has cast Mark Zuckerberg in a negative light. Were people under the impression that he was a saintly character that simply wanted to unite people? I had always assumed that Facebook was an ingenious idea that wanted to be a cultural phenomenon and make billions of billions of dollars. The fact that Zuckerberg shows a great deal of restraint in making money off the site was quite impressive to me. But that just meant he wasn’t in it it for only the money, he did intend on creating an empire from Facebook and any doubt anyone could ever had on that should have been dismissed with the privacy setting debates that obviously had no regard for the users.

So it is no surprise that the Zuckerberg character is told in the first scene that he is an “a–hole” (edited to keep my PG rating). He spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out what the audience already knows, his ex-girlfriend, Erica is right – he is one. But it’s ok, you’re flawed, I’m flawed, he’s flawed, whatever. We are grateful for your work, we made you rich, you helped us reconnect with old friends and keep up with new ones – let’s call it even.

After watching it, I tried to figure out what was the central theme of the story. There are a lot to pick from but so far, all i got is that people are spiteful. It is a very appropriate commentary on American entitlement in the digital age. Exhibit A is that the movie is set in two separate disposition cases of people suing Mark. One of the cases is by his co-founding best friend Edwardo Saverin (you’ll have to watch it to figure out how that sorta works out) and the other is the hilarious twin duo of the Winkelvoss twins who by all accounts are real and supposedly attended the premiere.

The other thought that you have after watching it is, how much of this is true? Writer, Aaron Sorkin, in the last issue of Entertainment Weekly assets that it’s completely true. To paraphrase, he says, “We know the beer he was drinking the night that he hacked into the Harvard databases and we haven’t been sued”. Drawing from close sources from the last 7 years, using first-hand testimonies, and avoiding lawsuits seems to be validating enough to him. Maybe he’s right, maybe he isn’t.

Zuckerberg swears he won’t see it, and most people I know can’t wait to. I’ll say this, The Social Network is going to create a great deal of conversation because it’s a pop-culture piece the that transcends the medium (and it includes two huge mediums – movies and internet) and will be a social fixture for years to come. I find it very interesting that the movie came out so soon. It probably doesn’t surprise some people but for some reason, I am a bit unsettled by it. But it’s done and out there and now this movie is part of Mark’s life and in some weird way, part of ours.