The Social Network is now out in cinemas in the U.S. and Canada. And it’s already a hit, at least critically. Whether commercial success will follow remains to be seen, but the signs are good.
After making its premiere last week at the New York Film Festival, The Facebook Movie, as everyone is calling it, is now out. The critics have given their opinion, and it’s mostly positive. The Social Network currently has ratings on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic that suggest it’s the best film of 2010 so far. With the possible exception of Toy Story 3.
Who’d have thought that a movie detailing how Facebook was born and then went onto become the huge, global phenomenon it now is would be deemed masterly by critics? It could so easily have been one just for the geeks, or even one that only appealed to the few hundred people who work at Facebook. Instead, Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher seem to have created something which can be appreciated by all and sundry.
The Social Network isn’t an entirely truthful account of how Facebook came to be, but is instead a cinematic version of events based on the book, The Accidental Billionaires. But that doesn’t seem to matter, and in fact could have helped it be a much better movie than it would have been had the details been spelled out as they occurred.
Now all we need to see is if mainstream cinema-goers agree with the critics or not. And looking further forward, whether The Social Network could be worthy of some Oscars. Best Picture, anyone?
