The Social Network

This involving and fascinating film is the story (and the trial) that surrounds the development of the social phenomenon, Facebook.

We start in 2003 (was it that recent?) as we watch Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg clumsily derail a potential date. He is brilliant, thoughtless and socially incompetent (maybe a touch of Asperger's?). Oblivious to the hurt he inflicts in that perfectly fine young woman, his first on-line venture springs from his desire to strike back at her.

This perfectly cast film boasts the following characters:

• Jesse Eisenberg ("Zombieland") IS Zuckerberg: smart, ambitious and emotionally isolated.
• Andrew Garfield ("Boy A") is perfect as his patient and much-exploited roommate and would-be friend. It looks like this guy might be our new Spiderman in 2012...
• Rooney Mara ("Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" US version, 2011) is that unfortunate date.
• Armie Hammer (TV credits) is amazing as the conflicted Winklevoss twins; Harvard gentlemen don't sue other Harvard gentlemen just for stealing an idea. He (they) look like taller versions of young Prince William.
• Justin Timberlake ("Alpha Dog") is Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, who wants a piece of the action.
• John Getz (Lots of TV) is Zuckerberg's lawyer. I'm only including him because I've liked him ever since "Blood Simple."

A lot of the action takes place on a college campus, so we see stereo-typical parties, drug use and general misbehavior which is mostly ignored by our computer hacker/nerd, Zuckerberg. The contrast is nicely depicted by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("Charlie Wilson's War") and director David Fincher (he'll be doing the American version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"). There is plenty of humor because we have 20/20 hindsight and KNOW what happened with Facebook. The tagline for this movie is: You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.

Once again, we are treated to snippets of what happened after the trial which is central to the film. I always appreciate that!