Movie Review: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

I have a feeling that this review will be kind of short, because to be honest, I'm not 100% sure how this movie makes me feel. Let me start by saying that David Fincher is a great director. He really captured the isolation of Mark Zuckerberg. Several times I noticed that Jesse Eisenberg, playing Zuckerberg, was in a shot all by himself. Even when there were other people around, he was still off to one side. Apart from using framing to show Zuckerberg's isolation, Fincher just sets up amazing shots. This movie was absolutely beautiful to watch. From the Harvard campus to a table in a room, Fincher found the perfect way to set up the scene and tell his story.

Aaron Sorkin's writing was also a treat. The fast paced dialogue he is known for was certainly on display here. It will take a second viewing just to catch everything said in the opening conversation. The way the script jumped from hearing to flashback to another hearing was very smooth and felt very natural.

I said I wasn't sure how THE SOCIAL NETWORK makes me feel. This is because the movie doesn't seem to make a judgement on Zuckerberg's actions. It just shows them "how they happened." This being a movie at least partly fiction, it doesn't go out of its way to tell the audience how to feel. Personally I kind of identify with the character of Mark Zuckerberg. THE SOCIAL NETWORK portrays him as a very lonely person who is just trying to get noticed. His problem is, he doesn't know when to stop.

This movie was very interesting, and I will definitely have to see it again to get its full impact. For now, I will simply recommend it to just about anyone who doesn't mind seeing a movie with little to no action, but with a lot of dialogue that won't leave you bored.

Rating: A