Review of The Game (1997) by Ruthie S — 31 Mar 2012

Are you ready to play?

If Hitchcock was alive today this is the kind of film he would be making.

The Story: On his 48th birthday Nicholas Van Orton is presented with an invitation to participate in a game. What the game is, and what the game consists of, is not up to him. He's thrown into massive web of lies and deciet when everything goes terribly wrong. Fighting for his life, he tries to figure out what the game is, and what the real truth is. Being able to trust no one, he's alone as his world is torn to shreds. It's about two hours long, and it doesn't move at the quickest pace. It takes a little time to get into it, and some might be a little bored before anything actually happens, but if you're willing to invest the time than you won't be dissapointed. It's a mystery full of twists and turns at every corner.

The Cast: Michael Douglass, Sean Penn...You're actually only watching this for Douglas, he's the one that the story revolves around, Penn is a secondary character that shows up from time to time, but is important never-the-less. Michael Douglas plays this part great, a bitter business man, shrewd, cold, and heartless. He's great and there's no denying his talent in this film. Sean Penn plays his brother, Conrad Van Orton. His character is the exact opposite of Douglas'. He's also been sucked into the game and can't seem to get out no matter how hard he tries. These two work great together and make the film worth seeing.

One to Five Scale: 4.

The only problem I have with this film is that it moves slowly. Almost too slowly at times, dragging on, you might lose interest here and there. But it's worth every second. Turn off the phone, lock the door, and make you sure you watch this in its entirety uninterupted the first time through, because once you know how it ends it's not the same.

Tyler.