Cascioppo - The Social Network

"Dating you is like dating a stairmaster." That is what Mark Zuckerberg's girlfriend spits out during an argument at the beginning of "The Social Network", David Fincher's new film about how technology is restructuring modern human interactions. The exhausting nature of their pre-breakup argument manages to set the tone for the entire film. A film that is at once sensually pleasing but intellectually frustrating.
This complicated film excels mainly at its visual and auditory styles. The soundtrack is great and the opening sequence featuring the White Stripes' "Ball and a Biscuit" is particularly spot on. The darkness of the film is matched throughout by the dark score produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. Furthermore the contrasting film styles of Zuckerberg's Harvard past, Los Angeles past, and boardroom present give an excellent effect to the film. These contrasting styles allow the viewer to separate the events not only by location but by mood. The fuzzy, darkened tones of Harvard and the opening party sequence are a highlight of the film. Also the Thames river crew racing scene was, in my mind, the best scene of the film.
What Fincher fails at is giving the audience a chance to care about any of the characters. Are you supposed to sympathize with Zuckerberg? He's an asshole, he's obsessed, he's manipulative, but he's also the "troubled genius" and the scene that shows him administering the drinking contest/internship interview makes you feel relieved that Zuckerberg is finally having a good time. Furthermore Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake in the best acting performance of the film) possesses a "you're the dude, dude" maestro quality but is also narcissistic and scheming. Eduardo seems to be the best candidate to hold the title of protagonist but he is weak-willed and becomes increasing unintelligent-looking in comparison with Zuckerberg. It doesn't help that Fincher requires the audience to take a major leap of faith to believe the manner in which Eduardo's shares were treated by Zuckerberg and the Facebook corporation team. Could it have in reality actually gone down like that? Fincher doesn't show us.
The breakneck speed of the film may have been used on purpose to reflect the speed that technology is rapidly involving. I appreciate technology. I don't appreciate justifying sitting through a two-hour plus film solely because it featured good scoring and cinematography; I need a character to relate to.