Why would you go see a movie about Facebook? Well, if you like movies of any kind, The Social Network is not just any movie when compared to the movie releases of 2010: The Losers, Vampires Suck, and The Last Airbender to name a few.

The Social Network is a movie about Facebook, and understandably, you probably could care less about the origins of Facebook. You are probably either addicted to Facebook, don’t care about it, or hate it. However, when you combine the story of Facebook up with the talents of director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, the product is a fairly decently exhilarating ride through the lives of the creators of Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is portrayed as a Harvard student who rants on the internet and thinks about creating a website that will compare girls with farm animals to see who is hotter after his girlfriend breaks up with him. Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) is Zuckerberg’s best and perhaps  only friend. However, as you may have heard, Facebook went through some difficult lawsuits and relationship break ups a few years ago–ooh, Silicon Valley gossip, where’s Gossip Girl?

So while the plot of The Social Network is mildly interesting, it wasn’t enough to draw the masses with their money into theaters. However, the true jewel behind The Social Network is among its direction, screenplay, and editing.

David Fincher’s portrayal of the Silicon Valley fast life led by Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), Napster phenomenon, is seductive. Scenes of high-rolling nightclubs are shown in tandem with the academic life of Harvard and the impersonal meeting rooms of law offices.

But the cinematography isn’t that special; it is the speed of the screenplay and the crisp editing that wins this film. Bullet dialogue right off the bat and characters that come to life before you know it is what makes The Social Network special. The emotions of The Social Network are played out as if Chopin is stringing out another masterpiece on the piano. The flow of The Social Network seems so effortless, the acting so natural, that it makes The Social Network so encompassing and entertaining.

Before you know it, you find yourself sympathizing with a character you would simply not sympathize with. Even when you know what is coming, the force that Fincher throttles the conflict with is breathtaking.

Director David Fincher has declared his art. While The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a little too slow for my taste, The Social Network is the complete opposite and one heck of a ride you don’t want to miss.