Review of Fight Club (1999) by Liam C — 25 Jun 2014

When a film like this gets overwhelmingly positive praise from pretty much everyone you know, even people around the same age who think Taken is the greatest movie ever made and wouldn't know a good film if it hit them in the face, I can't help but be a little skeptical and be ready to be let down.

Not that I should go in with any kind of expectations and I didn't I just finally sat down and watched something that I never got around to for the longest time. Fight Club really is quite special and after all the movies I've seen over the years, this does things I don't think I've ever seen before.

Never before have I been presented with such a bleak outlook and feel compelled to smile into the abyss, or maybe I have but I just don't remember but anyway the point is, this presents such a good story, good characters and themes and its all wrapped up in a flashy visual style that it's hard to not get drawn in.

Now I won't lie, I was really enjoying this in the beginning for about an hour or so, but in the middle it seemed kind of to loose it's way and seemed like it was unfocused and slipping and sliding all over the place but there's a scene where everything makes sense and pulls the rug out from underneath and make you go 'everything makes sense now', that made my appreciation definitely greaten and I did like it overall but I won't pretend that I just fell head over heels at the start in fear of saying that I disliked a popular film, it just took me awhile, I got smart and I just fell head over heels later on! David Finchers films really get screwed over in the Oscars, not like anyone judges a good film by them, or shouldn't, it's just a shame because this really did deserve some besides the random one it was nominated for.

The acting here really is what sells it and gives it the impact it really needs. Norton, Pitt and Carter all do their jobs well and give really commanding performances that are a joy to watch and to see well rounded, three dimensional characters who are really, really relatable.

Perhaps too much? Not like its a bad thing but because of this people have complained and said the film is this or that but it will last forever and its messages with echo throughout the ages. Since I saw it I have been doing research on it and reading pretty much everything I could find about it and just the amount of detail put into this thing is incredible and I can't imagine how hard it must have been to advertise this.

From the way the film looks to how it actually is, you'd be surprised as to how different everything will look at the end of this. Oh, and of course it had to be Shatner when they talk about actors they want to fight! Haha.

What have become cliches of modern cinema originated here but have never been done as well ever again, with an amazing story, great acting and powerful themes that are still relevant today, Fight Club is definitely one of the best films ever made.

Just make sure you don't spoil anything about it before you watch it.