David Fincher’s The Social Network is not a new film by any means. Having recently turned ten years old (on October 1), it’s not reasonable to call The Social Network any sort of hidden gem or new blockbuster. But what The Social Network has that is so alluring is the ability to watch and re-watch. Now, I need to preface this by saying that, while I am a massive movie buff, I am by no means a massive biopic fan. However, The Social Network doesn’t feel like a biopic. It’s more of a drama framed around the formation of FaceBook, which is what gives it the re-watch quality- in addition to its shining performances and flat-out incredible writing.

The Social Network - led by Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, and Armie Hammer as both Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss - enjoys absolutely wonderful performances. Eisenberg dazzles as Zuckerberg, breathing a humanity to him that is almost difficult to find in the view that we see of Zuckerberg today. Garfield as Saverin is equally a delight, and he provides a powerful, driven performance that hits hardest toward the end of the movie as Garfield provides an emotional and intense final monologue. Even Timberlake, who is known more for his music than his acting, excels in the role of slimy Sean Parker, truly making your skin crawl every time he’s on screen. Hammer, who brilliantly tackles the challenge of playing the twin Winklevoss brothers, is another delight to see on screen, rounding out the main cast. Yet, it is not completely performances to which the movie owes a large part of its quality. That honor belongs to the mastery that is Aaron Sorkin’s writing, and The Social Network is perhaps some of his best writing to ever grace the screen.

Aaron Sorkin is known for his whip quick and densely packed writing, but it’s a true marvel in The Social Network. Sorkin’s writing is easily described as melodic- when listening to his dialogue, it can literally at times feel like listening to a song. Sorkin relies on syllables to provide his melodies, packing in a purposeful amount in each line of dialogue. He writes in iambic pentameter, and often has his characters interrupt or speak in unison with each other, providing his dialogue with a very real depth. Sorkin’s writing is quick and sharp, faster than many other screenwriters. But it is not just the words that give Sorkin his power on the page- it is the empty space between them, too. Pauses are jarring and purposeful in Sorkin’s world of writing, and each one hits like a gut-punch. 

Ultimately, The Social Network is an excellent film, enhanced by Fincher’s brilliant and strong direction. It stands the test of time, despite facing multiple inaccuracies regarding the true story of Zuckerberg. Still, the first five minutes of the movie alone are pure excellence in acting, screenwriting, and directing. Watch for that alone, and stay for the whirlwind that is The Social Network.

Rating: A. For Fincher’s direction, Sorkin’s writing, and a star-studded cast who bring their absolute top performances. A solidly good movie, despite inaccuracies and the occasional dragging scene. The Social Network is available on Netflix, Prime, and other movie providers.

This book is one that took me a while to finally get around to reading. Last month I did a review on a book called “Mr. Monk Gets Even," which was based on the detective TV show Monk that aired from 2001 to 2009. I thought it was ok but still had a few problems with the original source material. And now we’re looking at an earlier book by the same author.

So the book starts with Monk and his assistant Natalie on vacation to Paris. While on the plane to Paris, a man dies from his peanut allergy and Monk quickly finds out who murdered him. I quickly explained that in one sentence because it has nothing to do with the rest of the book. After that, they arrive in France, and this is where the main problem of the book comes in. Most of this is the 2 exploring France with no detective work going on; that doesn’t sound bad at first until you realize it’s really boring. During their vacation, they come across 2 murders, normally, in the show the full focus would be on these murders, but no. The author had the idea to have Natalie not want to participate in the investigations and convince Monk to just let the police handle it, which would make sense because they’re on vacation, however, this means that we get more of them just walking around France. Eventually, they do work on the investigation but that’s not until ¾ into the book. At least the last part of the book where they join the investigation is good.

For my rating, I’m giving this a ⅖ because it was really boring and that’s it. I at least expected more from this book even with the same actor as the last book. So I guess I’m not really bored from this book as much as disappointed. I am taking book requests, so email me at Macronaldw@notredamehighschool.com if have a book you want me to review.