I know I'm a hundred years too late writing a review of 'The Social Network', especially since the movie was released in October last year, but I've got to admit that I'd only just watched it. (I was feeling manic today after my Psychiatric medicine EOPT and promptly went on a shopping spree: I don't know what got into me, but I spent a total of $310 dollars on books, DVDs and clothes in just 2 hours. I have no idea how I'm going to explain that much purchases to my mum.)
Anyway, one of the DVDs I bought just happened to be 'The Social Network'. I just finished watching the film (instead of dutifully sitting down and continue the mugging for my impending, DARE-I-SAY-IT, EMMM-BEEEE-BEEEEE-ASSSSSS examinations) and I just got this sudden urge/impulse/inspiration to blog about it. Yes, I absolutely freaking loved the film (because its such a typical film that nerds like me would like). Its such a brilliant film, well made, well scripted, well acted out. Perhaps the only weak point was the fact that Justin Timberlake was in it and I sincerely hope that he'll just stay with his day job of singing. Barring that, it was perfect. Jesse Eisenberg was GENIUS, just pure talent and genius oozing out of his every pore. Andrew Garfield was so genuine and sympathetic as the best friend who got betrayed big time that I REALLY wanted to punch everyone for him.
No one will ever know if the events of 'The Social Network' were real. Chances are the gist of it was true, but the details were overly dramatized for the sake of adding lots of extra oomph to it. The film portrays Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg as a socially awkward, stunningly brilliant, somewhat conniving, manipulative ass-hole. I highly doubt that the real Zuckerberg is that flawed an individual. Nonetheless, despite all the flaws that Movie-Zuckerberg had, the last scene betrays the fact that this was a guy who was utterly lonely in this world. He created a phenomenon that was meant to make it easier for everyone (and anyone) to connect with each other, but the greatest irony was that he had absolutely no one to connect to. I found it so heart breaking when he starts to realized it after betraying his one and only best/true friend. But its the last scene of the movie, when he truly realizes that all he wants desperately is to be accepted and to be forgiven by the girl who started this whole chain events, that particularly shines. Its so poignant, absurd even, but strangely, so touchingly moving.
For all its technical brilliance and intelligence, "The Social Network" is a movie that's especially good because it has a heart to it and its so relevant to. It takes something that's so ubiquitous in our life right now and uses it to juxtapose the opposing ideas of alienation and connectivity. Its a social commentary on the state of communication today, how the advent of social media has effectively given people a means of shielding themselves from the true need to communicate with one another, and in certain ways, caused a destruction in the ways of communication. We like to see ourselves as being more connected when we use such devices like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Friendster but all we are doing is simply typing to an inert machine that says things only because we are directing it to. Where's the sense in that? And isn't it ironic that the greatest revolution in connecting people was created by an individual who had so much problems relating and communicating and just connecting with the majority of the people around him?
That said, I think the reason why I was so particularly affected by this film is probably due to the fact that I see aspects of myself in Movie-Zuckerberg. First of all, I would like to clarify that I'm nowhere as intelligent and brilliant as he is, because the last time I checked, I'm most definitely not. Secondly, I would also like to think that I'm nowhere as manipulative and rational and stone-heartedly cold as him (though I'm probably as sarcastically mean as he is.) Lastly, I do not think I am as socially inept as he is (And I sincerely hope
that to be true.) That said, the way Movie-Zuckerberg deals with people, the way he hides behind the layers of codes and codes like they serve to be some sort of divine protection, the way he uses sarcasm as a weapon, his somewhat callous attitude with regards to sacrificing personal relationships to further his own cause or desires, somewhat reminds me of... well me. I don't think I'm as crystallized as he is, but the same modus operandi seems to be in order. Just the skeleton, but not the flesh.
The truth is, like Movie-Mark, I use nonchalance, avoidance, cold-biting sarcasm as a defence (?offense) mechanism because I'm afraid of interacting with people really. I flutter around, hoping no one sees/notices me, and when they do, I've got this compulsive urge to just say some wise crack that instantly freezes everything and therefore allows me to ran away from the situation. And even when I'm around people I'm familiar with, I still have to fight the urge to say something or let an expression slip because sometimes I wish I weren't in a social situation. People don't seem to notice it, but most of the times, I wish I could just coop myself at home and dabble with my computer all day.
I've never been someone who handles one-on-one relationships properly. I prefer interacting with people as a group, because I much prefer reading cues among people, than reading cues of an individual. It gives me more room to maneuver and possibly slip away unnoticed. I also fear one-on-one connections, because I really suck at them. On one hand, I've always wished I'd one best friend, like Mark's Eduardo, who trusts you implicitly and is always there to watch your back. But I know that I secretly fear such relationships, because to me they represent one way streets that are so hard to turn back, especially when an accident happens and you are caught in a jam of a car wreck. And I know because I've screwed up one or two of such relationships before and I know that I'll rationalize them to no end, and I'll conclude quite stubbornly, (whether I'm right or not), that I'm not at fault and that I refuse to be caught in such emotional quagmires and I'll turn my back and walk away forever. Sort of like how Movie-Mark walked out of Movie-Eduardo.
So I have my GROUPS of close friends. My many cliques that I maintain (whether via mental segmentation or actual physical segmentation), groups of people that I enjoy interacting with, feel familiar and comfortable with. Groups which allow me more room to maneuver, to hide behind humour, to defend myself, to retreat in fear. Because I sometimes fear connection. I really do. But yet, like Movie-Mark, I sometimes desperately desire it too.
I'm highly aware of the fact that this has degraded into a rambling about me and my issues. I apologize for these incessant, unnecessary ramblings. But when a movie as good as the Social Network comes along, its hard not to be stimulated by it. Hence the ramblings.
I suddenly find myself unable to find more things to add here. I've ran out of things to comment of. I think I'll end here.
Awkward.
