The Social Network - let the Oscar Hate Begin!

In case you haven’t noticed, I march to the beat of my own cinematic drum. I like what I like, hate what I hate, and make very few apologies.

During the annual Oscar hunt, there is usually one film (now two, with the doubling of BP slots) that I cannot stand, no matter how much everyone else loves it. Last year was “The Blind Side” and “Precious”. (“Avatar” doesn’t count – I hated it, but so did lots of others.)

This year I already have one slot filled – “The Social Network”.

I don’t really feel like I need to explain how I feel about Facebook. If you’re reading this, you obviously know me and you already know. Basically I think Facebook is quite silly and reaffirms my belief that most human beings are at their core self-centered. Sorry, but if I know you casually from my office, does it look like I care when you do your laundry?

Moving past that though, I love Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher. I’ve seen every episode of “The West Wing” and I think writing dialogue is a talent I wish I had. Fincher, although at times overrated, knows how to set a mood and tell a compelling story.

Unfortunately, I don’t feel like I got either in “The Social Network”. Although the interspersing of the multiple lawsuit plot lines was interesting, what I saw (which I suspect may have been switched with some other print of this film) showed me a bunch of narcissistic college nerds who take their own self-serving aims and then turn on each other. The Masters of a small Universe become Masters of a much bigger one, and don’t know how to handle it. Sorry, but it’s not exactly a revolutionary thought. In fact, nothing about this is revolutionary. Even the acting was mediocre, which could be because these characters show no growth. Why? Because they are in their twenties and probably can’t.

To me, this is really an updated version of an 80s film. Geek loses girl, says a bunch of mean things (in our era, that’s posting on the net), and redirects his energy to get back at those who spited him. He gets self-motivated bad influence leading him down a morally questionable path and asking him to forsake his initial supporters. Does he give in? The last five minutes (the only part for me which actually works) show him trying to get girl back. Does he? I don’t know and couldn’t possibly care less.

But maybe there’s something that I missed. Maybe there’s something that I just didn’t see. Maybe what I saw was really an idea that was stolen from somewhere else and presented as something new and original and I’m just too old to understand what the charm was. PLEASE tell me if I am – I’m starting to think I’m cinematically crazy.

Or not. But either way, I need to go do my laundry now. I’ll catch you next week.