Everyone’s talking about it.  It was positioned by a producer of the film as this generation’s Wall Street. Sure enough, people are calling Zuckerberg’s character as the Bud Fox of today.  The Social Network delivered.

This film is so poignant.  It taps directly into the zeitgeist while at the same time tells a terrifically crafted story – revealing the layers of Facebook’s monumental impact while entertaining us at the same time and making one think.

First, let’s acknowledge the story and the way they chose to frame it.  Many story elements seemed played-up or dramatized as well as Zuckerberg’s character always playing the bad ass genius card.  While it didn’t go down this way, the story tellers were savvy enough to know that the vehicle needed this framing in order to tell what is otherwise, a really dry business 101 story with the roaring 2000s theme. 

Outside of the film’s questionable accuracy – it’s amazing art direction. The lighting, pacing, scene set-ups, sequences, music and performances were all on point.  Should we expect less from David Fincher, the man who was making all those awesome music vids in the 90s with Madonna and directed films such as Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac, Curious Case of Benjamin Button and is attached to direct the U.S. adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?  The man is not to be doubted!  Bravo Mr. Fincher & Co. for an excellent project! The people have spoken.

Lastly, let’s talk about the film’s relevance on a cultural, technological/digital and business level.

Culturally, I’ll never forget living the experience of joining Facebook in college and watching it blow up in front of my eyes – during that period it was crazy – everyone in college was all about it and we couldn’t even tell each other why we were all so into it. Five some odd years later and it’s still relevant to our lives on an even bigger scale.

Tech/digitally, and it’s shown in different facets of film but not stressed – how Zuckerberg and friends stumbled upon a way to not just create a new social site but to literally – re-wire and re-network the inner workings of the internet and our lives simultaneously.  It is now why Facebook and Google are the ones to watch in the internet evolution race for #1.  Also, read how Facebook can become bigger in Five Years than Google is Today. 

On a business level – this is just a classic business 101 story. Very much in vein of other innovator American stories ala Steve Jobs with Apple and Bill Gates with Microsoft. (Netflix Pirates of Silicon Valley if you have never seen.)  Awesome innovative achievement is always super-cool but usually never without a few people getting hurt and/or felt done-wronged along the way.  American business – it’s never pretty but someone has to do it. 

If you are on the interwebs and want to be on top of what is culturally relevant then do yourself a favor.  Go. See. This. Film.

 -Mitchel Kapler

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