Anti Social Network

People who think The Social Network is a great movie probably think that Facebook is a great thing.
They probably think that most things they say or do is interesting.
They probably think their virtual friends say and do interesting things.
With standards that low, of course they're going to like that movie.

Cheap shot? Meh.

Some thoughts on the movie.

If it's true, make it true. 
If you know them, then follow the facts and follow the characterizations and relationships.
Do not make them up.
Do not sell them as truth when they are known to be not.
Do not hide behind the laziness of "it's a movie so we had to change some things to make it dramatic".
If you change ANYTHING from the truth, it is no longer a true story.
And you should not sell it as such.
If it's not the truth, then don't use the real names of living people and active corporations. Make them up. You're creative, you can probably stretch and do that.
Otherwise, hell, some people might be deceived or get lost between the truth and the "film-makers truth".

If you're making a film purporting to tell  the true story of real, living people, then do you not have a moral obligation to tell that story as truthfully as possible?  If you knowingly make things up/fabricate events, relationships or characterizations, then surely you no longer have the moral right to use real names? You're bullshitting the audience and you're doing the real people who share the same names as characters in your movie, a huge disservice.

The lead character doesn't give a shit so why should I?
Unempathetic characters flow throughout this movie. There is no one who I wanted to win. They all could have done with a quick corrective slap and been told to behave.

However, this point is not about liking or disliking the characters. But, if I didn't feel for them, then I can't give a damn about the outcome.  This is not about them being good or bad, heroes or villains.  I love "Dexter" and he's a reprehensible character. But the writers there use their skill to make us feel what he feels - they allow us to be passengers on his scary ride. Here, we weren't on the rollercoaster with these characters, we were watching them ride from some distance.

The Stakes are low
They're ultra smart.
They're privileged
They're kids.
They're at Harvard.

How bad can it be?

What do they want?
What will happen if they fail to get what they want?
What is the worst thing that can happen to them? They don't become billionaires? Well boohoo. They're still educated, intelligent and living way beyond poverty.

What's the worst thing that could happen to Zuckerberg in the movie?
If Zuckerberg's character lost the Facebook battle, then he'd only lose the Facebook battle. According to the movie, he's not motivated by money. So even if he loses the money battle, he loses. He's still the guy who invented Facebook.
No big deal there.

If he wins, he's still the guy who invented Facebook and is now worth multi-billions. If he loses, he's worth a few billion less, but still worth billions. The difference in stakes for the character (especially one who doesn't give a shit about money)  between becoming a billionaire and multi-billionaire is pretty small.

Compare this to The Bicycle Thief - the difference between having a bicycle and not having a bicycle is a job, a marriage, a family and happiness. There is something to be won and something to be lost and there is a vast and discernible difference between the two possible outcomes.

The outcome of the movie is known.
Zuckerberg has control of Facebook.
So we know he wins.
So it has to be about how he wins that engages us.
However, it would appear, he just does.
After the first couple of weeks of avoiding the twins, he doesn't outmaneuver or fight.
He doesn't use his skills to outwit the twins at Harvard or in the depositions.
He just got in first and then had his lawyers do the rest (apart from a couple of snarky comments in the depositions).
Not really a hero or anti-hero fighting for what he believes is right.
He bitches, pays good lawyers and wins.

And I won't even start on all of Sorkin's characters always sounding the same and always sounding like Sorkin...