CinemaCl🎃wn’s review published on Letterboxd:
The very template of an assured masterpiece, The Social Network is exactly what happens when an impeccable script, a visionary director & a talented ensemble unite under one roof and work together in perfect harmony. A truly monumental achievement of contemporary filmmaking, The Social Network is the defining portrait of a generation and a masterpiece for the ages.
Chronicling the founding of Facebook, the story concerns Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard sophomore who in his dorm room creates a social networking site which would later take over the digital world unlike anything before or since but later finds himself being sued by two brothers who claim he stole their idea and also by the co-founder who was squeezed out of the company.
Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network finds the renowned filmmaker in complete control of his craft, for he directs with meticulous care, confidence & sophistication while balancing style & substance with precision. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the screenplay is inarguably amongst the decade's finest, for the story is narrated in ways that never allows the interest to fizzle out and amps it further.
On the technical front, the film is flawless. Production design team does a splendid job in creating the required hip, urban setting the plot unfolds in. Cinematography is precise and hits the sweet spot for every camera movement, colour composition & lighting intensity. Editing is taut from start to finish, for there isn't a dull moment and no scene is out of place. And the pacing is smooth & brisk throughout.
Marking the beginning of a new director-composer collaboration, the background score of The Social Network is composed by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and for the seamless manner in which its tracks are interwoven with the imagery offer an added momentum to the story and elevate the audiovisual experience to the next level. In short, the film's soundtrack is no less groundbreaking feat in itself.
Coming to the performances, the film features a fantastic cast in Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer & Rooney Mara, and everyone is in top form here. Eisenberg is quite a revelation in his role of Mark Zuckerberg and delivers a nerdy, energetic act. Garfield follows him closely as Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and even bests him at times. Timberlake stands out as Sean Parker while Hammer does well as Winklevoss twins.
On an overall scale, The Social Network is a pitch-perfect blend of all the ingredients one requires to make a great film and under Fincher's assured direction, Sorkin's script ends up accomplishing way more than what was up for grabs. Effortlessly engaging, thoroughly entertaining & wholly satisfying, this biopic may not be an entirely accurate account of the events leading to Facebook's creation but it certainly is 21st century filmmaking at its absolute best. One hundred percent recommended.
