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Sunday, January 02, 2011

the social network

I had sat down to write about the past year... ended up watching the social network and here i am... writing a post about it.

Let me tell u upfront, the movie is amazingly refreshing, first up because it is fast! From the very first scene. And the second reason - its shot in the interestingly 'Christopher Nolan' way with the past and the present being intricately woven together in a linear screenplay, only to reveal their separation gradually.

The second most striking thing about the movie is the display of personality and behavior. Starting with Mark (Zuckerberg) not valuing what he has (Erica) until she's gone and later, the urge, the stubbornness to 'expand', trying very hard to be an 'asshole' that he isn't, the naive excitement of Eduardo on being the CFO, with all the people starting to take notice of him. How Mark gets impressed with Sean Parker (of Napster fame) and his adept ways of affecting people, especially the young! How the suspicion of Eduardo's girlfriend grows under the aegis of her increasing insecurity. And talking about insecurities, Eduardo's insecurity due to his decreasing hold on Mark with the entry of Sean.

Its strange what and how a thing affects a man's psyche! I have often thought to myself... people say that understanding a woman is difficult, i for one, while not contradicting, believe that being a man is not easy either! To be in possession of something as simple and yet as perplex in manifestation as a male ego, is not a child's play by any means! The ways in which it can manipulate one's behaviors has far reaching consequences... so much so that you can become the youngest Billionaire :)

I always thought everytime i saw Mark's snaps from press conferences released in the newspaper that he appears quiet, sort of disconnected from the world. That small, forcefully lightened smile; and the weight of a gaze waiting for something or someone, hidden away behind those big round eyes. From personal experience, let me tell you that i can completely empathize with him and know the kind of disconnect one can be pushed into!

well... i can go on and on on the topic, but i seriously feel, that you should watch the movie for the real feel of it and understand, that the movie was a hit not because it was about facebook, but because it is the story of a boy, a seemingly normal one, (the underdog),  with perfect SAT scores, who lost his love, and became an 'asshole'!

PS: If you can decipher how the word 'asshole' has been used in the movie - you have got it!

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