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Created Feb 26, 2011 12:04PM PST • Edited Feb 26, 2011 12:04PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   There’s a certain irony in the fact that the man responsible for creating Facebook, one of the world’s greatest social networks, is personally so difficult to deal with. Or, at least that’s the way Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed in The Social Network. Exquisitely portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, Zuckerberg comes across as an obnoxious and arrogant computer geek, who creates Facebook after seeing the potential appeal of a cruel computer program he created that rates co-eds.

   The story itself is well told, and certainly topical, as Facebook seems to permeate more and more of our society, helping to define the way a generation learns to socialize. But in the end, I had to wonder if it will stand the test of time. Did I enjoy it? Yes. But I fear I enjoyed it only because Facebook is something that I can relate to at this moment in time. A better question may be would this same movie hold my interest in 5 or 10 years. Given the way technology changes so quickly, and fads come and go, that remains to be seen.

   That being said, it was a good movie. The life of Facebook is treated almost like the life of one of us. From its inception, where Zuckerberg clearly recognizes “It’s live”, to it’s struggling infancy and then rapid growth, we see it develop, learn, refine, and mature to the product we recognize today. As pointed out in the film, there really is no “end” to it, merely continual refinement. I noticed that early parts of the film were mostly night scenes, with dark hallways and warm, rich wood paneled rooms on the campus of Harvard, its birthplace. As the movie progresses, we see increasing movement into more lighted scenes, and rooms with more color and “life”. I suppose there could be all sorts of Freudian arguments that this is symbolism for life itself.

   But we also see greed, and betrayal, and ambition, and a need for acceptance. That’s the rub for me. Here we have a brilliant individual, who craves attention, living in a competitive academic setting, who can best relate to people through a computer. At one point in the movie, he sends a “friend request” to a woman who just turned him down for dinner. When life’s relationships failed him, he hid behind the safety of the internet.

   So, after months of waiting to see this movie, and being one of the last of my friends to watch it, I thought it was really good. Not perfect in my opinion, but really good.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

   Jesse Eisenberg gives a great performance, capturing a snobbish behavior that alienates others. I was also impressed with Justin Timberlake in his role as the creator of Napster.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Really Great 4.5

    Great scenes on campus of Harvard, along with some interesting and creative shots of crew racing stood out for me. I struggled to understand what was being said in some parts. When Eisenberg, and some of the other speak quickly and with purpose, the lines get lost. While it helped to re-enforce how brilliant the analytical thought process was of these folks, it made it difficult for a mere common man like myself to keep up. Two of the bar scenes also were drowned out a bit by background music. Now, to be fair, I watched it on DVD, so perhaps the theatrical presentations didn’t sound the same as I would find in my living room.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Really Great 4.5

13. Music Really Great 4.5

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.8

17. Sex Titillating 1.8

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Profane 2.6

    He’s portrayed as a jerk, and it comes across like that.

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0