Title: The Social Network

Studio/Distributor: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment

Genre(s): Drama, Docudrama, Biography

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Josh Pence, Rashida Jones, Brenda Song, John Getz, David Selby, Rooney Mara

Director: David Fincher

Writer: Aaron Sorkin

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and language)

Synopsis: Six years after inventing Facebook in his dorm room, Mark Zuckerberg becomes a billionaire, only to have the success tarnish his friendship with Eduardo Saverin. Based on Ben Mezrich’s book “The Accidential Billionaires”.

Bottom Line: Those who see the trailer for “The Social Network” would ask themselves the same question that many industry insiders aasked when the film was announced: “Why make a movie about Facebook?”. The answer to the question is: “Why not?”. Facebook grew from a social networking site for college students to becoming the biggest thing to ever hit the internet since viral video became part of the modern pop culture lexicon. However, this film is more about success & money and what it does to people as much as it is about the invention of Facebook. “The Social Network” begins with college student Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg, in an gratifying & anti-heroic performance) having a simple conversation with his girlfriend Erica (Mara), which soon turns into heated when Erica lays into Mark for his behavior and breaks up with him due to said behavior. Moments later, Mark uses the internet to lay into Erica, saying some sexist and offensive things about her. That same night, Mark got an idea about creating a social networking site for college students, whether they go to Harvard or not and he asks the help of his friend Eduardo Saverin (Garfield, in a breakout performance) to provide the technological know-how to create the site. Soon after, Mark & Eduardo become the names to know after “the-facebook” becomes a big success on campus, winning the admiration of women and gaining a ton of students as employees. Not to mention, Mark is introduced to the Winklevoss twins (Hammer & Pence) who gave Mark the idea for creating the site. Then, they meet Napster creator Sean Parker (Timberlake) and he propose a plan to make the site bigger and go beyond the collegiate crowds. Now, the site is called Facebook (the “the” is dropped) and it’s an even bigger success but Mark & Eduardo soon learn that success comes with a price when the Winklevoss comes at Mark with lawsuits and Eduardo following soon after. “The Social Network” is more than just “The Facebook Movie” as some moviegoers and fellow critics have labeled it, it’s also a generational story about how something simple can change everything, for better or worse. The performances given by the cast is phenomenal, screenwriter Sorkin once again proves why he provides his characters with lines that are memorable as well as unforgettable, the score by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross is original and unconventional and director Fincher has helmed another great film that tailors to his dazzling & daring visual style that’s simply incomparable. To “Like” this movie isn’t enough, you have to respect how it just comes and speaks to the youth of this generation.