Tuesday 7 December 2010

The Social Network [2010]


David Fincher sure knows how to create zeitgeist films by making his movies that are products of their times, but with a universal appeal; and he also knows how to grab his audiences' lapels. His latest film The Social Network might have become clichéd and uninteresting. But the sheer bravado of the narrative and the vitality of the powerful of script have ensured the movie has given a fresh outlook to a theme that has otherwise been tested umpteen times. The movie has parallel narratives – it begins with multi-billionaire computer-genius Mark Zuckerberg, who founded the cult social website Facebook, being sued for plagiarism by his former friends; the flashback, on the other hand, gives a peek into how the site went on to achieve such fame, making Zuckerberg a billionaire by his mid-twenties. Exceptionally acted by Jesse Eisenberg, as the nerdish, arrogant, neurotic, self-obsessed Harvard guy, with a mind one can only dream of, as well as his costars, the movie goes at a breakneck speed despite being verbose. How Facebook evolved from a college dorm one drunken night, into a global phenomenon, has been covered here in pulsating tone. Without going into comparisons with his earlier movies like Fight Club, Seven and Zodiac, I can safely say that yours truly “likes” this film.








Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama/Biopic
Language: English
Country: US

8 comments:

Omar said...

Hey dude, how's it going? I see have you seen The Social Network and like it a lot which goes the same for me. Interestingly, it made it to the number one spot in Sight & Sound's top ten of the year - what do you think? Any contenders for the best films of the year? I gotta feeling Inception is going to be shoved to one side.

Maria Mcclain said...

i really like this movie a lot & hope you too, Btw you have a very good blog & I have bookmarked it, hope you submit it for free in this website to increase visitor.have a nice day & Happy Blogging!!!

Chris said...

I would also recommend it, a good film.
But I felt some of the scenes with the twins were repeating the same point and could maybe have been cut.
I also critized the film for not delving more into the psychology of online friendship, pros and cons.
The soundtrack was great,though, I embedded 2 tracks in my review.

Shubhajit said...

@Omar:

Long time no see! Yeah, the Social Network would certainly rank among the year's bests. And I agree, despite being an audacious venture, Inception might just be shoved to one side for being such a blockbuster. Honestly, I haven't seen many movies released this year to name my contenders, but I would certainly like to know yours.

Shubhajit said...

@Maria:

Thanks Maria for liking my blog. Do keep visiting. And yeah, I'll surely look into the site you recommended. Nice day to you too.

Shubhajit said...

@Movieandsonds365:

Well, Social Network isn't a flawless film, even though it remains a very goo movie. As for not delving into the pros and cons of online friendship, though Facebook does prominently feature in the narrative, at the end of the day the movie is about Zuckerberg. And yeah, I liked the soundtrack too - it was really good. Thanks a lot for stopping by and sharing your views here.

Sam Juliano said...

Well, Shubhajit, I like the film too, though it's clear that you like it more. I guess this is a generational thing, anda matter of the power that facebook exerts in one's life as someone at another site opined recently. I completely agree that the script is extraordinary, (and that Jess Eisenberg delivers a buffo performance) but stylistically this is about as conventional a film as Fincher has ever made. Actually you do admit there are flaws here, and after a while the film wears you down. For me it will probably miss out on my year end top ten list.

Superb review! It does appear that the film is headed for Oscar glory and is already winning critics' awards (one after the other).

Shubhajit said...

Thanks Sam. I appreciate your reservations. I however would like to hold on to my views - that is was a very good film and deserves all the praise that it has received. Nonetheless, I do agree that this could be a generational thing, and I do admit that this isn't a flawless film either. As I said earlier, I will look out for your year's bests list too with much anticipation.