The Game
I actually saw previews for "The Game" when I went to see "The Full Monty." It looked S-C-A-R-Y. As it turns out, it was mostly suspense, not lots of gore. Which made me happy. I can't stand gore. Or lots of killing, which this also doesn't have. I could actually handle "The Game," meaning I never had to hide my eyes from the screen. This is a huge endorsement for you weenies out there, because I, as I've stated before, am the Queen Weenie.
"The Game" stars Michael Douglas as a really rich guy whose brother (Sean Penn) gives him a birthday present -- a so- called game. He's instructed to call a number and then given lots of tests. Then, he is told, his game will begin shortly. And does it ever.
I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just say that the "game" invades his life. It knows what he is doing, what he is saying, his past, his present...and it's more than a little scary. Soon it looks like this may not be a game at all, but some kind of big scam. Michael Douglas spends lots of time leaving his house (don'tcha hate that in movies?) to try and figure out what the deal is, which of course leads to further trouble.
There were tons of plot twists. And you need to enter this movie suspending your disbelief, believe you me. Still, it was a compelling movie. I really wondered what was going to happen next. Well, that's not entirely true. Quite a few times, especially towards the end, a scene would start and I could see the outcome. BUT you never knew if they were going to take another turn, or if that was the REAL ending, or what, so in a way, it did still keep me guessing.
If this sounds convoluted and confusing, that's how the movie was! And that's all I'm gonna tell you. I give it a marginal thumbs up. Sean Penn was underutilized, and Michael Douglas was great -- and I don't usually care for that Michael Douglas.