The Social Network

I’d been avoiding watching The Social Network for some time. I worried that the subject matter would be pretty dull and too wordy. But having seen most of the other awards contenders I decided to take the plunge. Things seemed promising when the opening bars of the White Stripes’ Ball & Biscuit rang out over the opening scene. Could the rest of the film measure up to the opening track?

If you haven’t got Facebook you’re unlikely to be reading this review (about 90% of readers arrive on this page via Facebook) but for those of you who’ve been living under a rock, here’s the rub...

Facebook is the most successful in a long line of ‘social networking’ sites in which people can befriend their actual friends (and numerous people they barely know or would cross the street to avoid) in a virtual world of photos, status updates, liking and commenting. It was invented by Harvard student Marc Zuckerberg (admirably played by Jesse Eisenberg); a man with limited social skills who has struggled to convince the world that Facebook was solely his creation. The Social Network explores this in playing devil’s advocate whilst presenting Zuckerberg’s case and that of those who also claim a hand in the invention of Facebook: Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer).

The White Stripes accompanied opening scene is a perfect introduction to a whip-smart script by Aaron Sorkin (inventor of the West Wing) and to Zuckerberg. In it, the geeky Zuckerberg displays exactly how socially inept he is whilst being indelicately dumped by his girlfriend. In the context of the conversation it’s easy to understand why – and gives us a key insight into the reasons why Zuckerberg went on to mount a ‘virtual’ campaign of revenge. After writing disparaging blogs about his ex he goes on to create ‘Facemash’, an application which foreshadowed Facebook and which allowed users to rate campus girls against each other. Only someone as embittered and divorced from reality as Zuckerberg would conceive of such a notion.

When Facemash web-traffic crashes the Harvard network Zuckerberg is catapulted into infamy – attracting the attentions of the Winklevoss twins – a pair eager to harness the power of the internet as a way of picking up girls. They need a programmer to write The Harvard Connection for them and enlist Zuckerberg. Except he steals their idea, repeatedly stalls them and eventually launches Facebook without their input. What follows is a legal drama as various wronged parties attempt to claim ownership or recompense from Zuckerberg.

Told in flashback it’s a surprisingly engaging affair. The sparky dialogue crackles and never allows itself to be bogged down in legal or technological jargon. The characters are interesting without ever being likeable: it’s quite a trick to have written such an engaging script despite failing to give the audience an obvious 'hero' (although Eduardo is a pretty likeable guy). Admittedly, there are some clunky plot devices used to demonstrate the mental processes involved in creating Facebook – but on the whole it’s a stylishly and effectively done.

Eisenberg nails his performance as the inept, dislikeable Zuckerberg, the direction is pacy, the soundtrack (by Trent Reznor)is superb and the story well-crafted. But ultimately it’s a film about very little. Arguing over intellectual property is essentially arguing over nothing – certainly nothing tangible. Yet The Social Network creates an excitement and a buzz which mirrors the hype and interest with which Facebook was greeted - and creates a film of substance from something unsubstantial. Like Facebook, however, it's fairly disposable stuff.