Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
Director: David Fincher
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg dubbed Ben Ben Mezrich’s non-fictional novel, “The Accidental Billionaries” a “fiction”. “The Social Network” based on the novel, dwells on the price of success.
An angry undergrad and computer geek Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) works on a new website with best friend Eduardo Saverin (Garfield). Zuckerberg’s website that ranks female classmates’ hotness at Harvard soon catches the eyes of the rich Winklevoss twins (both characters played by Armie Hammer) and their business partner Divya
Narendra.
They hire Zuckerberg to create a social networking site for Harvard students. However, Zuckerberg “has a better idea” and goes for a bigger pie. Saverin agrees to fund what the duo called “thefacebook” project.
The popular website soon spreads to other universities and when it opens at Stanford University, Zuckerberg and Saverin strike a deal with Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Timberlake) to expand their horizon. But Parker works behind Saverin and helps Zuckerberg get the funds to transform “thefacebook” into Facebook! However, as Zuckerberg stands at the gate of success, lawsuits come flying in from his Harvard rivals and his former best friend...
For a success story that is well known all over, it was expected that “The Social Network” would be a dumb biographic. Yet, this true life story based on the Facebook founders, of course with some factual errors, has the audience’s rapt attention.
Director David Fincher has created a praiseworthy film, where he ensures that Zuckerberg and all the others get their fair share, at least on the screen. There’s something to look forward to in Eisenberg who plays Zuckerberg, proving that Eisenberg is not just another actor good at slapstick comedies. Garfield is a perfect co-star. And yes! Another reason to look forward to this film is Justin Timberlake, who’s fine-tuned his acting skills well.
On the other hand, this film is not interested in telling you what is correct and what is not true. The makers know that Facebook’s “history” and “status” will always be “online” for truth seekers. All they care is giving you an engrossing story. And they succeed.
Reviewed by Robert L Sungte, Deccan Herald
