Inventing Facebook

I have a confession to make. Back in 2010, while all the people were raving about The Social Network, I was busy rolling my eyes at them. I thought it was a ridiculous idea to make a movie about Facebook. That was before I actually got to see the movie and ate my words. Now I understand why it's such a critically acclaimed success. Here's why:

First of all, it is a story of success... An inspiring yet somewhat lonely kind. It depicts how Facebook was founded and how its inventor, Mark Zuckerberg, against all odds and lawsuits, became the youngest billionaire in the world.

Second of all, it was very wittily written. Most lines in the movie are funny and sarcastic. I laughed at the dark humor and was pleasantly amused by how smart and fast the characters talk. The story also takes us deeper to the origins of this phenomenal network and explains how its each feature came to be.

The film was also tastefully edited, making scene transitions in various time lines effortless. Last but not the least, the casting was perfect. The actors portrayed their characters well. Jesse Eisenberg in particular made his extremely intelligent, indifferent, and insensitive role still lovable and relate-able. Andrew Garfield (minus the Spiderman costume) also gave a convincing performance. Heck, I even commend Justin Timberlake's acting here!

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The Social Network is based on Ben Mezrich's 2009 book, The Accidental Billionaires. Zuckerberg refused to be interviewed through the making of the book; hence, didn't approve of the movie. One of Facebook's co-founder and Zuckerberg's ex-best friend, Eduardo Saverin, served as Mezrich's main source however. I guess only they know the real line between fact and fiction in this biographical film.

Nevertheless, I enjoy each time I watch it and will keep encouraging my sister to give it a try even though she's become a Facebook resister recently.

-Martha