FIGHT CLUB R
Starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Meat Loaf.
(See how we thought the movie would be at September's Previews.)
Eric says: ******* (7)
Thank goodness trailers still leave some surprises. This testosterone induced dream sequence of a movie has a couple of twists and turns that aren't revealed. Played closer to a fantasy (all characters seem about as real as gnomes and fairies) than a drama, these characters are clearly only in existance for the movie's sake - their reality ends when the screen goes black. It lives for now, a visceral experience that tries a little too hard at times to tweak us, yet succeeds sometimes, as well. Some of the quotes in this movie, too graphic to repeat, are truly outrageous.
Fight Club opens to the music of the Dust Brothers' ultra-up-tempo music, setting the tone for the entire thing, as Nine Inch Nails did for "Seven". We meet Edward Norton's character, a living, breathing, escapee from a Dilbert comic strip. His life is steadily free-falling into an impenetrable self-loathing bore, illustrated by his increasing insomnia. He does what anyone else would do, starts going to programs(survivors of testicular cancer, AIDS, parasites, you name it). While there, he meets two people who continue in his life, Meat Loaf's character with a memorable physical trait, and a fellow lying sympathy-leach, Marla Singer, Helena Bonham Carter's character, who does some good noir chain smoking. Then there's Tyler Durden, a soap entrapenuer whom Edward meets on the way home from a business trip. Fate intervenes and they move in together into a lovely little fixer-upper. Soon the two create the Fight Club where men clamor to take turns beating up each other. The rest of the movie delves into the fellas' relationship with Marla, a compitition between the two about what direction the club is taking, plus a fancy little twist about 3/4 into it. There may be an attempt to make fun of mens' sense of self, but equal parts a celebration of it as well. There are also a couple too many cute /fancy visuals in the early goings that, luckilly, do not dominate the entire 2+ hours. Brad Pitt is as good as I've ever seen him as a charismatic, if not wholly sane, leader who builds himself a cult. He has the very charisma that Tyler has to have to pull it off.
I actually didn't fully like this movie, though. The visuals and bitterness seemed to over-extend themselves, and it took me a while to get into the groove of the fact that it was, indeed, a fantasy, not based in reality. I also sometimes felt soiled by the grime that was on the screen. Visually a very interesting movie with crisp dialogue and great use of high-end audio in a couple of scenes, I would see it again, if only to see it from a different perspective. Definitely not for everyone. Definitely for adults only. If you like Jean Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport and the depressing Seven, go out and enjoy this 100mg IV injection of testosterone.
-(One thing, the new commercials reveal the final scene. I, for one, remember seeing these scenes and know that the movie ain't over 'til I see all the scenes on the ads. This disappoints me, especially since the trailer manages to keep the secrets.)
David says: ********** (9/10)
I had very little interest in watching this movie. Therefore, I'm quite happy that Eric managed to convince me to see it. A dark and eerie movie, it ends on a not downbeat note. This is one where the prevues were perfect - giving a good idea of what the movie is about without giving away what the movie is about - I was surprised at several points at the developments Compared to the 6th Sense, there are fewer clues as to that there is more to the eye, while still retaining the perfect consistancy post-revelation.
Well, this is another review that I waited to long to write...