The Social Network (2010 David Fincher)

In the outtakes Fincher (Gone Girl) looked like the most annoying director ever, retaking a scene 99 times (no exaggeration), and preaching at the cast incessantly - the complete opposite of Woody Allen - Jesse (who's great) must have loved the experience of working with the latter in comparison. Also the 'rehearsal' sessions seem more about rewriting Sorkin's script (Q guesses the writer would have chosen not to work with that director again.)

Aaron Sorkin won the Oscar - the structure is good, cutting two court cases to flashbacks. The source material is Ben Mezrich's 2009 non-fiction book 'The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal'. However we thought the film ('Mark Zuckerberg is a Cunt') was unfulfilling - why exactly does he shaft his only friend Andrew Garfield? (The title is an irony as Z is portrayed to be unable to conduct human relationships with anyone, really.) To this extent, Jesse Eisenberg is quoted as saying 'one of the hardest things about the role was having to deliberately speak and behave in a manner he had struggled against in his own personality his entire life'.

Also felt the Armie Hammer twins rowing thing was irrelevant. Sharply written dialogue of course - wholly unsympathetic Harvard principal to the twins 'You memorized that instead of doing what?' College life scenes also maybe irrelevant. Scene of hackers competition (like Fight Club) drinking shots was unbelievable - more likely they all would have failed the task and fallen over - a better scene also. No - just cut it out. Also have to query night club scene in which you have to strain to hear the conversation between Jesse and Justin - what's the point of that? To make it more 'realistic'?

So, good acting, Jesse, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara, Max Minghella (son of), Rashida Jones (Parks and Rec), Josh Pence, Brenda Song, Joseph Mazzello, Dakota Johnson. Shot by Jordan Cronenweth (in widescreen) in the sort of unmistakable greenish hue which Fincher seems to like.