'The Social Network' an excellent, intriguing film

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones

Cert: 15

The interesting thing to emerge from this quite excellent and very American drama is that the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg, bringing us an outstanding, dare one say Oscar-winning, performance), was almost completely lacking in social grace himself.

Facebook, the all-embracing, some would argue sinister, social network that in six short years has attracted some 500million subscribers, was conceived when Zuckerberg was an undergrad at Harvard … and not the most sociable of characters if the film is to be believed.

This is not a straight documentary, it is a dramatisation of the founding of Facebook (Zuckerberg did not, of course, assist in the

film) and as such we can only guess at its authenticity.

But what does come through is the mean-spirited, coldness of the central character allied to the driving ambition and greed.

Zuckerberg seems not to have treated people well, testified by the feeling of betrayal on the part of close friend Eduardo Saverin (Garfield), who sued him.

This is an excellent film, telling an intriguing story.

Star Rating: 5/5