Badmovies.org Forum

Just curious for commentary here. Got the disc from Netflix and watched it last night.

A good film. Nobody can say it isn't. Well made. There were some scenes that were set up very well. The whole conversation in the club between Mark Zuckerberg and the Napster guy (can't remember the name) was brilliantly done. Whoever did the sound for that scene was a genius because it sounded like a room filled with blaring techno music and like they were having to yell to hear each other, yet you could hear  everything they said. Just really well done. So, the filmmaking aspect of it, in my opinion, was very well done.

The story wasn't particularly interesting to me. The dialogue and interactions were, but the story itself was just not compelling enough for me. I also wonder how dead on it was in terms of the perspectives of everyone involved. I didn't care much about the twins that supposedly had their idea stolen. Hey, they didn't have the ability to pull it off, so essentially, f**k 'em. I felt very bad about his friend and co-founder, and certainly if the events portrayed are close enough to the truth, then Mark Zuckerberg is no friend I would ever want. If he just did it all for money then that at least I could respect a little bit.

He had no redeeming qualities or values that gave his character any worth. Perhaps that's who Mark Zuckerberg is, and if that's the case, then "mission accomplished" in getting the portrayal down. Jesse Eisenberg succeeded so well in that regard that I find it hard not to superimpose the character onto the actor. It makes me not want to watch him again. That's wrong to do, of course, but perhaps because of that it is a testament to the performance, because I didn't have that reaction to Zombieland.

I'm not going to rate the film because I find it hard to rate. So many things about it I was impressed with and things that I didn't like. I may come to a rating opinion at some point, but for now I just wanted to post some thoughts and get some thoughts from the board.

Thanks in advance.

Hmmm. Me suspects nobody here saw it.

I thought it was one of the top 5 movies of the year, and I expected it to win the Oscar. 

I agree the twins were litigious opportunists and Zuckerberg was portrayed as an a-hole.  He gets his, CITIZEN KANE style, because he ends up with all the success in the world, but none of the satisfaction.  I thought the final scene was fairly brilliant. 

Good dialogue, great acting throughout.  I thought it took very dry subject matter (software design and intellectual property litigation) and gave it a human face. I was never bored, personally.

I love Finchers work, I think the Game might be my favorite movie ever in some respects and certainly fight club I've seen a zillion times, but I simply don't have facebook!!

By the way, the twins' lawsuit (as depicted in the film) was completely meritless.  It was a harassment suit, Zuckerberg's lawyers settled because it was cheaper than fighting it.  You're perfectly free to "steal" other people's ideas when they throw them out, unless there is a contract or patent involved.  Everyone has a million dollar idea; they're near worthless under the law.  The person that actually does the work and brings the idea to life is the one who deserves the reward. 

Thanks gents. Yeah, I really thought it was a well-made film and I liked the dialogue and interactions between characters, I just wasn't interested enough in the story. That was actually the only thing about it that prevented the film from going into the "truly great" category for me personally.