The Social Network

One evening I was on the Warner Brothers lot and I cut down a side street to save time. Along the way I saw two men talking and when I passed them I realized that it was Rob Lowe and Thomas Schlamme. My heart skipped a beat because I am a big fan of The West Wing and I thought it was cool to see them in person. On my way back they were still there so I decided to be bold and went up and introduced myself. I told these gentlemen that the reason I loved the show so much was because it took a subject that I hated (politics) and challenged me to be interested. It made politics human and for once in my life I could appreciate the art of it. I could also see how hard it is to get things done in government. It really takes men and women with passion and resolve to institute change. Politics is not for the feint of heart.

One of the main reasons that The West Wing is so accessible is the brilliant writing of Aaron Sorkin. He took something complicated and remote, and made it relatable. He has done the same thing for The Social Network. Everything in this movie is outside the area of my expertise; computer science, corporate law, algorithms, collegiate society, yet I was able to follow the entire story and was engaged throughout the process. Somehow Aaron made nerd stuff cool and understandable. This movie is intense and I was intrigued from beginning to end.

The Social Network tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg and how he created the computer sensation Facebook, a multi billion-dollar company. Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland) plays Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield (Never Let Me Go) plays his best friend and co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Created in a college dorm room, the idea took off and spread like wildfire, but along the way, others claimed credit or tried to wiggle in on their success. This film chronicles the creation process and the litigation that followed.

The brilliant writing and directing in this film keeps the story moving but the acting is excellent as well. Armie Hammer (Blackout) plays both of the Winklevoss twins. They along with their associate Divya Narendra, Max Minghella (Agora), had the original networking idea that Zuckerberg expounded on. They brought Zuckerberg in as a computer programmer, but he immediately saw their shortcomings and took their idea to a whole new level. The film never decides for us who is right or wrong. It just lays out the facts and allows us to decide.

Justin Timberlake (Alpha Dog) portrays Napster creator Sean Parker. He came along later with a lot of big ideas and razzle-dazzle and created a wedge between Zuckerberg and Saverin. This divide destroyed their friendship and almost ruined the company. This movie is interesting on so many levels it really needs to be seen. I highly recommend this film. On Facebook I vote “like”.

Rating: Must See The history of genius