Screen Review 1. Fight Club

Movie: Fight Club
Director: David Fincher
Run Time: 2h 19m
Release Date: October 15th, 1999
Stars:  Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf
Rated: R

Synopsis: An insomniac office worker, looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker, forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

"The things you own end up owning you."

REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS ABOUT THE MOVIE'S MESSAGE.

I liked this movie far more than I thought I would. It was a lot of fun to watch.

I didn't take it very seriously, as I'm sure some people might, but that's part of why I liked it. I was just along for the ride, and it completely sucked me into the narrative.

There's a strong theme of anti-materialism throughout the entire movie, which I had mixed feelings about. In some ways I agree that being overly materialistic can be harmful to one's mental health, but at the same time you have to have some standards. Like, don't join a cult. Or live in an abandoned house. And stop being so preachy.

The part of the commentary I did like, however, was how all the characters did was dispose of one society's detrimental mindset for another's. They were just as trapped as ever when they thought they were finally free. Also, they were in a cult. We can argue about this, but it was pretty obviously a cult to me. Don't join cults, kids.

I loved the ending. The last third was by far the best part of the entire film. The narrator is in a lot of ways the everyman, and seeing him try to figure out a situation that got way out of hand (like, WAY out of hand) was really fun. It was so tense and kept taking all these turns that I wasn't expecting! I may of had my issues with the movie, but they really aced the ending, leaving me on the edge of my seat.

The main thing that kind of bugged me was the gore. I guess I should have expected this, coming from a movie about fighting, but there were scenes that went a little far for what I was comfortable with. There was also some CGI that just looked iffy to me. But both of those things, in the grand scheme of the movie, I could let slide.

To sum it up, I liked it quite a bit, but it's not making my top ten. It's a completely enjoyable experience, and I can see how it's become a cult classic. The movie does have some great quotes as well!

-Claire