Note: Just a little of the plot is explained!
Rating: * * * * out of * * * *
Rated: R for graphic violence and gore, strong language, sexuality and some nudity.
Starring: Edward Nortan, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto.
Running Time: 140 minutes
"The first rule of Fight Club is, you'd don't talk about Fight Club, the second rule of Fight Club is you DON'T TALK about Fight Club"
Well Ok I won't talk about Fight Club. I will say that it is one of the most incredibly original movie ever made, that is at the same time energetic, funny, violent, intense and sad. Brad Pitt give his best performance to date as does Edward Nortan and Helena Bonham Carter. Being a David Fincher movie (Seven) I was expecting a messed up, demented yet artistic piece of art that to my surprise instantly to me became a masterpiece that had an exploding soundtrack to back it up as well as a story that was amazingly original.
Ok let me try to tell the plot without giving too much of it away: Edward Nortan our narrator whom we never find out the name let's just call him Jack is a normal guy lives a normal life, except one day when he cannot sleep. He then starts visiting group therapies, going under false names just to try and get out his depression and emotions. He goes to groups for stuff he doesn't even have: Testicular Cancer being a standout. That's where he meets her: Marla (played by the always great Helena Bonham Carter)a bad girl with a sweet side. She too going to groups for what she doesn't have.
Then the fun begins, on his way to a business thing 'Jack' meets a person who will change his life forever. He meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). They instantly hit it off and 'Jack' moves in with Tyler. The two decide to start a club, a fight club for people who like to get together and well fight. The club gets underway but things start to get a little out of hand. From here on I ain't saying nothing else. The whole movie is a cinematic classic. Nothing less we can always too call it a masterpiece cause that's's what it was too. David Fincher gives the movie just that right touch to make us believe we are living in the film rather than watching it. What we don't know is the best thing. The audience has to think of what they want and believe what they want, because you really can't go wrong.
Brad Pitt is one of the most skilled actors in Hollywood and makes Tyler Durden my favorite character in a movie. He's one of those people everyone wants to be like. Brad Pitt just brings out the character even more and has us believing that he is Tyler Durden. Oscar Worthy work here. Edward Nortan who gave a terrific performance in 'American History X' gives a great performance here as our main character. The way he relates to his character and plays him out makes us think that he should be picked as best actor. Helena Bonham Carter gives the performance of her career as Marla the whacked out woman Jack falls for.
The writing in the movie was constantly smart and clever. It has a bit of everything: Profanity and satire. Both mixing into one quite perfectly might I add. All the dialogue that comes from the characters are realistic and never pretentious. Another thing I found excellent about the movie was the way it was made. It came away from the MTV style editing and went into the hardcore rock video type thing. It has a dark, gritty atmosphere that makes us part of the story and made me at least believe it was almost real. This stuff can happen and does happen. By the end we are left with out jaws hanging down close to the ground getting dirty. The last 30 minutes have many twists that make us wonder why movies like this just can't be made anymore?
The bottom line is Fight Club is a new masterpiece for a new generation. Every so often a move comes along that changed movie-goers lived forever. Fight Club is that movie. A very controversial movie but deals with the issues of fascism, violence and secret clubs. Should these things go on? Should we really have clubs where you beat each other to bloody pulps? That isn't for me to decide. But as far as I'm concerned good luck.
If you think this movie is nothing but violence and a group of men beating each other to an inch of their lives. Forget it this is a movie with in-depth character studies as well as a story that gets so involved by the time the end credits role I was ready to watch it again just to be amazed. The movie has a side to it that most don't, it seems like a movie with mean-spirit and ends up being a movie with a messed up personality to it that we can somehow all relate to. But remember when you see Fight Club, there are two rules, First Rule: You don't talk about Fight Club, Second rule: You DON'T TALK about Fight Club. See it, live it, experience it, be amazed.
Reviewed by Brandon Herring November 3, 1999. Brandon Herring Movie Review Heaven (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/movie/3160/moviereviewheaven.html
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