By DAVID MATTESON
Despite recent acclaim for The Social Network, based on Ben Mezrich’s bestseller, the movie lacks appeal and may induce one to boredom.
The movie centers on the creation of Facebook and the lawsuits surrounding its origin. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) portrays founder Mark Zuckerberg. This character choice is the only reason to see the film. Eisenberg has found his niche in playing nerdy protagonists and he excels as the socially awkward Zuckerberg.
Justin Timberlake returns to major motion pictures in The Social Network by playing the antagonist Sean Parker who owned Napster. Timberlake plays the notorious figure well, and the comedic actor adds moments of relief from the intense story line.
The plot itself moves quickly and is expressed in a series of flashbacks. The framed story is the growth of Facebook from a small profile site for only Ivy League students to the billion-dollar company it is today; these events are relayed as part of Zuckerberg’s involvement in two lawsuits.
While the movie tries to center around a human interest angle rather than technical aspects regarding Facebook, the fact is that the film is about the creation of a website. This dull concept will only interest those majoring in web design, and therefore go over the heads of many high school students. Discussions on algorithms and web code may cause one to fall asleep, so the film should only be watched when one is able to focus.
While the film has sparked controversy and acclaim, it lacks the ability to appeal to wide audiences. Unless one needs to catch up on his or her sleep, one should not pick this flick. (two out of five stars)