For all those who can't see the grimy toxicity of David Fincher's finger prints all over The Social Network , I point you to several points.
Firstly, how was his last movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a recognisable Fincher movie?
And, secondly, have you watched The Social Network? Lashings of paranoia, a choppy MTV style of editing and slinky, sexy visual flourishes are all married with a storming industrial soundtrack by Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor ... do I need to say any more?
It's a wonder how anything else survives, but it's thankfully one of many stars of this astute new movie. Aaron Sorkin's screenplay focusing on the rise and rise of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerbeg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) has already been feted to the heavens, and its hard to underplay how excellent it is. I did maintain some – perhaps slightly ageist – doubts over Sorkin's appointment here – how can a fifty-something year old tap into the socio-cultural maelstrom that is Facebook?
But of course part of Facebook's concern is universal – the airing of dirty laundry, the importance of popularity and the need to belonging are as important as technological aptitude and ease around a VDU. And his possible distance from the subject may have helped to make his points ever sharper. Fuck, what do I know? He may be an addict like millions across the globe.
Whilst Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield are, quite magnificently, jostling to steal the film from each other, there's an incredibly sad story here. The film ends on a character waiting for someone to accept his pending friend request. Despite how much we despise some of the characters actions, they're all painted as terrifyingly fallible. And as geeky and technological as it can seem to outsiders, Facebook is ultimately about connecting with people. What can be more human and accessible than that?
