What does a gifted computer geek do to get revenge on Harvard's exclusive social scene? He creates Facebook. Meteoric success, law suits and failed personal relationships ensue. Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), Facebook's founder, is portrayed as a bitter genius burning bridges on his journey from Harvard to Silicon Valley. Exploring the ins and outs of Facebook's inception through flashbacks and lawsuit testimony, no stone is left unturned in this exhaustive depiction of Zuckerberg's transformation from a lowly computer science student to the executive of a global corporation. Whether Zuckerberg's rise to power will last, however, remains uncertain to the very end. Rachel Carter
Directed by: David FincherWith: Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake120 min.Rated PG-13
This is not a film for moviegoers who want to see a relatable, sympathetic protagonist onscreen. Eisenberg portrays Zuckerberg as borderline sociopathic and Timberlake is heavy on the flippancy and smarm. As the wronged nice guy, Garfield's Eduardo is the only character with any integrity. Although each portrayal is rather extreme, this helps make the potentially mundane subject of online coding seem dramatic and exciting. Lauren Sarner
David Fincher seems to have a knack for directing films that critics say "define a generation." Although his name is not well-known, almost everyone is familiar with Fincher's movies. The director's body of work, from the dark and stylistic "Fight Club" to the epic biopic "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," displays a versatility that is rare in the industry and "The Social Network" does not disappoint. Gavin Huang
A film made powerful not by the astounding IQ of the man it portrays, but Zuckerberg's isolation despite his success, "The Social Network" creates a compelling drama out of one of our generation's most well-known success stories. In the end, the ultimate irony of being the friendless creator of the world's top social networking site raises the age-old question of how much monetary success is truly worth. Rachel Carter
