Best Film of the Year

I can't remember the last time I wrote about a film that went beyond "insert-actor's-name-here is so hot!"  In the last few years, I have not seen a single film that has compelled me to write a detailed review and become an avid Oscar awards-fanatic again.  Until The Social Network came along.

What else is there to say that hasn't already been said about The Social Network?  It's the best-reviewed film of the year on Metacritic.com (score: 95).  It's probably David Fincher's best directed film to date (yes, I like this more than Seven or The Fight Club).  It features the strongest ensemble of young actors in any film I've ever seen (probably tied with The Breakfast Club). 

And of course it doesn't hurt that this film introduced me to the dashing and charming Andrew Garfield:

Where have you been all my life?

(WARNING! THERE MAY BE SPOILERS AHEAD)  The Social Network is a semi-true story of how Facebook was conceptualized and developed, and the lawsuits that ensued almost immediately after the site was launched.  The central character is Mark Zuckerberg, a computer science student and genius programmer who developed Facebook from his dorm room in Harvard University in 2003.  To get the website started, Mark enlisted the help of Eduardo Saverin, an economics major from Harvard who was also Mark's best friend. As Facebook began growing rapidly, the need for more investors became immediate, and the difference of outlook as to where the additional funding should come from (advertising, according to Eduardo, while Mark preferred to get funding from venture capitalists) eventually led to a falling out between the two ex-best friends.

The Social Network is my favorite film of the year, for these reasons:

1 - It has the best screenplay of any film I've seen in the last five years, perhaps one of my favorite screenplays of all time.  Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) deserves an Oscar for that 8-minute opening sequence alone.  It sets the tone of the film perfectly...intelligent without trying too hard to be intellectual, clever but not too clever that only the writers would "get it".  Perfect.

There isn't any standout, money line from the film, but the dialogue stuck in my head so much that I find myself looking for appropriate situations when I can utter these lines in real life:

"Lawyer up, asshole!"  (Hmm, maybe not, unless I'm planning to sue someone) 

"I need a minute to let the classiness waft over me..."  (Ha, I can think of a number of situations when I can use this in my line of work!)

"You have part of my attention.  The minimum amount." (I love this.)

Another Andrew picture.  He makes this blog entry look pretty.

2 -  It reminded me of why I like David Fincher.  I wasn't too fond of Fincher's last two films (Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), but The Social Network made me a believer again.  The film is perfectly paced, there's not a single dull moment in the entire two hours.  The only time I thought they could have made a scene shorter was the one with Sean and Mark in the club, but I can live with that. 

3 - The cinematography is superb.  I particularly loved the dark setting in the early stages of the film, after the break-up scene and that whole sequence of Mark running to his dorm room.  And of course, the camerawork in the Henley Regatta scene was excellent.  A little out of place in the film, maybe, but still pretty to witness nonetheless.

4 - The entire cast is excellent, even the ones with smaller roles.  The standouts are Jesse Eisenberg (his performance reminds me of Ellen Page's from Juno a few years ago) and of course, Andrew Garfield (the only actor who got a scene that will surely make the Academy take notice).  Armie Hammer has come a long way from Gossip Girl, and Rooney Mara proves why she deserves the lead in The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo.  I had minor problems with Justin Timberlake and Brenda Song, but mostly because I felt like I was still watching Justin and Brenda's character from The Suite Life.  LOL

5 - The bottomline is...The Social Network is actually quite enjoyable.  Films that are surrounded by Oscar buzz are all great, that's a given, but it's rare to find those kinds of films that are also enjoyable to watch. I appreciated Inception and I thought that was a well-made film, but I can't say I "enjoyed" watching it (and this is coming from someone who has seen that film thrice!).  

I rarely recommend films because my taste is almost always "different" from the majority (I like Vanilla Sky.  That's really all you need to know about how weird my taste in films is.)  But I won't hesitate to recommend The Social Network to anyone because it's just that good.  Promise, you won't regret going to the cinema for this one.