For No One
RSS➩ The Social Network (2010)
I appreciated The Social Network even more on this second viewing. I have difficulty putting my finger on its appeal though, so I’ll list some of the things I like about it.
The first time I watched the movie, I assumed twin actors played the Winklevoss twins, and was amazed they found two such huge and fit identical twins. The second time, I knew better, but was equally amazed at how seamless the effects were, and how well Armie Hammer played two different characters.
The cast did a bang-up job bringing life to these characters, and illustrating their complex relationships (particularly Eduardo and Zuckerberg). I don’t know how realistic their portrayals are, as I don’t know much about their real-life counterparts, but their performances served the story well.
The structure of the story also suited it well. Knowing about the impending lawsuits Facebook had coming added tension during the whole movie, and not knowing the outcomes of the lawsuits (or even what they regarded in particular) also made it enjoyable to watch. And on top of that, the whole time you realize just how big Facebook became in real life. It’s incredible to see how it initially grew.
More than anything else, I suppose I enjoyed seeing this technology product unfold. And who did that part center around? Programmers! This movie made writing code look cool in a genuine way that I relate to. They used jargon accurately, as well as period-accurate screens on the computers. They showed Zuckerberg using a Mac running Linux, which fits. I knew many geeks (fellow Computer Science students) in college who did the same.
