Reviews by Matt

Every now and then while I am perusing the movie news websites, something catches my eye. It could be some new casting news, the announcement of a sequel or remake, or a brand new project from an actor/director I like. Then there are those things that make me say “WHAT!” That is usually followed by, “There is no way that you can make a movie about that!” Well one of those was the announcement that there was going to be a movie based on Facebook.

Over the next few months it became clearer, the movie was going to be based on Ben Mezrick’s “The Accidental Billionaires.” Then when it was revealed that Aaron Sorkin would be writing the script and David Fincher would be directing it, I was a little more willing to see this as a potentially great movie.

This being my third attempt to write a summery, I will keep it simple. Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenburg) is being sued.
Twice over. In one case, his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) is suing him for cutting him out of the company they both created, Facebook. In the other, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer) and Divya Narenda (Max Minghella) are suing Mark because they say he stole Facebook from them.

There was a time where I would have never paid money to see this. As it stands, I don’t really like Facebook that much.
Sure, I still use it, but more because it is there, not because I need to. It could go away tomorrow and I would not be affected. The point being, a movie about Facebook was not exactly high on my list of movies to see. Then more details emerged and I had a sudden interest in it.

I think that everyone involved with this did a fantastic job. Eisenburg shows he is not just the poor man’s Michel Cera. He gives a great performance and gives Zuckerburg these great little quarks that make him likeable, even when he is being a jerk. Garfield, who was recently cast as the new Spider-Man, is great too. Saverin is Zuckerburg’s best friend. He is rightfully angry when his stock in the company is cut. Garfield has the hard job of playing someone who is suing Mark, but is also defending him in another lawsuit. It is a delicate balance that Garfield has to tread and he nails it. I even think Justin Timberlake, who plays Napster founder Sean Parker, is great at the one who tears up the Zuckerburg-Saverin friendship. For what little she was in it, Rooney Mara, who was cast as Lisbeth in the American adaptation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” did a good job.

I have to say that I am surprised and not so surprised at how this movie did at the box office. On one hand you have the fact that it is about Facebook. There are people who use the site who are going to see it just for that fact. I am surprised because this is not really their type of movie. It is all talk—and great talk at that. Nothing blows up, there are no huge stars. Long and short of it is that there is nothing that should appeal to that group at all.

This is a great movie. See it in the theater if you wish, but it would also make a great rental—plus that is WAY cheaper.

9/10
PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language
120 min