Day 134 - The Social Network



Day 134          The Social Network [2010]
                          
Screenplay                    Aaron Sorkin
Based on                       ‘The Accidental Billionairies’ by Ben Mezrich
Director                         David Fincher
Cinematography            Jeff Cronenworth
Music                            Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Leads                            Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Rooney Mara, Rashida Jones, Max Minghella, Brenda Song, Dakota Johnson
Production                     Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions, Michael De Luca Productions, Trigger Street Productions

IMDb                                 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes                96%

This is a favourite of mine and I thought I should watch it again considering all that’s been going on in Mr. Zuckerberg’s life the past few months. I know it’s not 100% accurate – artistic licence and all that – but I now don’t think it’s too far off in terms of capturing his personality. Sorkin and Fincher would be your dream nine-ten combo for most teams (that’s a rugby reference for anyone wondering). Sorkin gives us some memorable lines that highlight Zuckerberg’s talent. Fincher is one of the best directors in the world having been at the helm of such run-of-the-mill productions as Zodiac, Se7en, Fight Club, Gone Girl, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button…we could honestly be here all day. He has even made successful forays into television directing early House of Cards episodes as well as a recent favourite of mine – Mindhunter. He has a way of taking over your senses. There is something ultra-real about the way the characters move about the scene, as if the camera perfectly matches the speed and motion of their movements, whether that be a lunge forward or a halt in their motion. The soundtrack emphasises this reality even further, Reznor and Ross providing the perfect score for this technological tale. The opening scene seamlessly captures Zuckerberg’s personality and intelligence and the way we follow Zuckerberg like a drunken friend to his room with him sets the pace for the whole film. Eisenberg capturing Zuckerberg’s neutral character to perfection the whole way through. There are some hilarious moments in it to, I particularly enjoy the Winklevoss’ meeting with the Dean, “Anne…punch me in the face”. It’s a wonderful film that has cemented Facebook and Zuckerberg within cinema history as a story that deserved to be told about a social networking site that is so incredibly relevant in the modern era.

Acting                            3.5 / 4
Writing                           3.5 / 4
Cinematography             3.5 / 4
Music                                4 / 4
HWF rating                  4 / 4

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