This movie is not about Facebook. Let me discuss.

The slightly, maybe, kinda, sorta, based on, I think some ideas, but names have been changed, not to mention Justin Timberlake IS Napster, story of the rise of Facebook via the alienation and tribulations of it’s creator, Mark Zuckerberg.

The story is told through the interrogation during the lawsuit in which the CEO of Facebook is being sued by his best friend for $600 million and two other Harvard classmates.

Who is to be credited for the idea, and what must be done to demand credit? The movie is about Mark Zuckerberg, not Facebook. We want to understand the man who created Facebook.

The creation, the scandal, the involvement of others, his interactions with people, his alienation, the effects on his life, and him as a person.

Through character dialog we gain valuable knowledge on the insight behind some of the main features of Facebook, like The Wall and Photo Albums. These brief mentions are subtle and interesting.

A clear and apparent theme of the movie is interpretation. As we peer into the personal life of Mark Zuckerberg we question his intentions, amicable or deceitful? How we feel about Mark will affect how we feel about the movie the same way you would like a painting more or less once depending on the artist.

There is no implication that your opinion of the movie will affect your option or use of Facebook. The reoccurring theme connects characters to Facebook but focuses on how it affects the characters. Conflicts between characters arise regarding “relationship status” and how the Facebook function is interpreted.

We question if Mark Zuckerberg is indeed a “bad person”. The conclusion of the movie brings up the notion of jury influencers. How appearance and use of leading questions can influence the juries perception of the accused.

How about your Facebook Wall or Photo albums? Are you, your friends, and your interactions with friends accurately interpreted by those who “know” you from this pinhole view? You put your life on display and you will be scrutinized.

In an interview D: All Things Digital conference, California June 2010, Zuckerberg stated that he did not want a movie made of him while he was still alive. The movie portrays Zuckerberg as a unscrupulous introvert. Fixating on his alienation and obsession with flip flops. Are these qualities of the real Zuckerberg, or the character? Of course, as a movie, the audience wants to hate the world’s youngest billionaire and it wouldn’t happen without some controversy. The audience watch in anticipation to see what the young billionaire must sacrifice in exchange for his affluence.

Besides the fact that the basis of the movie based around a multibillion dollar social phenomenon, the script is written by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men 1992, Charlie Wilson’s War 2007). Sorkin’s scripts are known for being beautifully literate, what one would expect from a celebrated playwright. His portfolio proves his talent for riveting drama with meticulous character development through intricate dialogue requiring very little material influence. How his style contributes to the overall affect of The Social Network is dubious. Essentially the drama is social conflict developing with the rise and fall of the characters. Seeing as Facebook is still a huge decade-devining milestone entity, there is no history to investigate the truth, the history is still being written.

The lawsuit was settled in 2008 and all of the “characters” are living and able to deliver opinions to further the viewer curiosity. Biases are sure to conflict and you can Google numerous interviews and quotes from those actually involved. I found the characters to on-point witty to be believable, especially since the real Mark Zuckerberg is described as “socially off-key”.

Weather an accurate demonstration of Mark Zuckerberg or not, Jesse Eisenberg, is excellent in this movie. After his role in Adventureland & Zombieland, Eisenberg has established his niche role as an awkwardly-charming, coming into one’s own must-see.

Does anyone remember the 2007 theory that Facebook was a conception of the CIA and US Department of Defense to facilitate Big-Brother style surveillance? If The Social Network describes the origins of Facebook, was this theory settled? Conspiracy or ridiculous implication?

Directed by David Fincher.