Reviewed By: Emanuel Caros

The melding of an Aaron Sorkin script about Facebook, Jesse Eisenberg  lead, and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) musical score, all at the direction of David Fincher, makes for one outrageous combination.  But in the case of The Social Network that combo results in a spotless retelling of the genesis of a societal innovation.

Aaron Sorkin's (A Few Good Men, The West Wing) script floors viewers from the first minute by the biting dialogue between Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) and his soon-to-be-ex girlfriend (Mara Rooney).  Sorkin is able to do what breaks the backs of trying writers all over the world by effectively introducing the background and nuances of the lead character immediately without obvious attempts to do so.  The rest of his screenplay keeps a good pace filled with drama, intensity, and perfect bits of humor that make a steel-tough backbone for Fincher's dreary landscape. 

Known for his mastery of the macabre, David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) adds to his repertoire by elevating what could have been a clone of Steven Soderbergh's average  The Informant into a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at corporate turmoil.  Stuck with a plot that lacked sci-fi or horror elements, Fincher still found a way to put his stamp on film with an eternal blue fog masking the streets of Cambridge, while keeping the look clean and crisp.  One scene in particular, the regatta, adds a cherry to the top of an already beautiful film. The director intertwines steadicam shots with tilt-shift photography (AMAZING!) to create an extremely fast and stunning sequence that wasn't necessarily relevant to the plot, but sure was worth Fincher taking the time to flaunt.

Finally, the portrayal of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg by Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland) was shocking.  Known for being a poor-man's Michael Cera, Eisenberg showed he's got the chutzpah to take control of a tediously detailed character and play the hell out of it.  At first glance, viewers see the kid from Zombieland but by the end he has transformed into Zuckerberg through and through.  His co-stars play similarly well, specifically a promising performance by (future Spiderman) Andrew Garfield as Zuckerberg's best friend and business partner.

The Social Network has very few shortcomings as the second act goes a little long, and the end falls a little flat.  But while it may have dragged on a bit, watching Fincher's dark setting and Eisenberg act make the extra time worthwhile.  After stringing together a resume of palatable art, David Fincher secures himself as one of the best filmmakers of the past couple decades with a dramatic movie that exceeds high expectations.

9/10