There's one movie from this summer that I want to watch again and I'll probably buy it on Blu-Ray. No not Scott Pilgrim, or Inception, or even Iron Man 2. It's about a bunch of nerds who furiously tap on their keyboards and angrily toss lawsuits and money scams at each other. Wow. I am just a party animal.
In all seriousness, The Social Network is a wonderful movie, though in no way revolutionary. It doesn't have the high-energy action or mind-numbing information overload of Inception. It doesn't have the quirky ADD humor and colorful spectacle of Scott Pilgrim. And it doesn't feature any really groundbreaking emotional catharsis or crazy twist ending. What is exceptional about The Social Network is that it attempts to be nothing more than a very solid, enjoyable movie.
Unoffically dubbed "The Facebook Movie", Social Network is a highly (cannot stress that word enough) dramatized history of the creation of Facebook. Is it accurate? Hell no. Mark Zuckerberg is not a beer-swilling, anti-social genius hell-bent on World Wide Web domination (really how could someone as anti-social as Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal be the creator of the greatest social networking tool of our generation?). Eduardo Saverin is not a clueless sidekick who follows his master while preparing to steal the limelight. Sean Parker is not a one-dimensional douche bag. Is it exciting? In it's own way sometimes, but it never reaches a moment of ultimate climax or emotional overflow. Is it catchy, funny, or memorable? Not really. There isn't any famous line people will be quoting from this film, and no fantastic "that one scene" stigma that can make even a crappy movie sell millions.
But despite all of this, The Social Network manages to be a gripping experience throughout it's 120 minute running time. It's rare occurrence where all of the elements of a movie come together and just mesh into one, solid idea. The direction, the writing, the acting, the music; it all just...works. Director David Fincher knows a thing or two about pacing and delivery. With movies such as Se7en and Fight Club under his belt, Fincher knows how take the oddest and most mundane ideas and spin them into intricate and poignant pieces. Writer Aaron Sorkin, who pioneered television with his incredibly intelligent West Wing series, weaves a web of intrigue and deception from a seemingly simple plot and premise. It may not be terribly accurate, but as all good storytellers know, there's no use spoiling a good story with truth. All of the actors turn in solid roles, from Eisenberg's cold, flawed genius, to Andrew Garfield's unsure sidekick, and even Timberlake's party-monger, they're all very real and believable people. And the music we have none other to thank but Trent Reznor. Despite his long and distinguished career as a popular musician, it seems he scores his biggest home runs as a music supervisor.
But beyond Network's credentials as a piece of film, it's lasting charm (for me at least) is it's portrayal of the college nerd culture. When such a word as "nerd" or "computer geek" is uttered, it usually conjures visions like that of the recent Intel and E-Surance commercials. Poorly dressed, socially awkward individuals with an alienating obsession of all things tech. Some of my favorite parts of The Social Network are the least noteworthy. The portrayal of Zuckerberg, and ultimately Sean Parker, is one of almost rock star quality. They buy a house which they run Facebook out of, all while partying, having a good time, and being the rambunctious twenty-somethings that they are. They aren't hunched over a computer with books stacked to the ceiling and a pocket protector ready to explode with pens. They're playing games, jumping off a roof into a swimming pool, drinking and doing drugs. At times you wonder is this a website headquarters or the back stage of an AC/DC show? It shows "nerds" as regular people. The minds behind a massively powerful page of computer code are just as wild, crazy, and fun as the rest of the world. In other words, it is a much truer portrayal of nerd culture, if at times a bit overly dramatic. Another excellent demonstration of this is the "hackathon" scene, when Zuckberg and Saverin join the rest of the Facebook staff in watching an event they called a "hackathon". The concept is a simple one, see who can build or break a specific computer project the best and most efficiently. But it's not a scene of social deviants tapping furiously and chugging coffee. It's more of a party atmosphere, with people drinking alcohol, carrying on with music blasting and cheering participants on.
Maybe it's just me, but I found the parts that many so-called "nerds" found unrealistic some of the truest parts of the movie. And it isn't a breakthrough of filmmaking. It's not going to change the way things are done or even what people think of when they say the word "nerd". But it is a very solid movie, and one worth seeing at least once. If nothing else, it made me feel proud a s a computer programmer, and inspired me to keep doing what I enjoy. And that's something most movies can never do.
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