I am Jack's vast sense of.........approval???
To say "Fight Club" is like a fine wine is something of
an overstatement. But it does indeed get better with each viewing.
The first time I saw it was in the theater. After that viewing, I
felt like I had pretty much wasted a couple hours of my life. Fast
forward seven months to the here and now.
For whatever reason I decided to order the damn thing on DVD. I suppose
I was intrigued by seeing it again since, when I saw it the first
time, I was predisposed to hating it. Don't ask me why, because I
don't know. Plus the DVD is loaded with a ton of extra features and
there were parts of the movie that I did enjoy the first time around.
So what took this once disavowed and despised film from the depths
of despair to a film that I watched two times the first day I owned
it? That my friends, is the intent of this review.
"Fight Club" is the story of a man who is on his way to
hitting rock bottom. Edward Norton plays the man who can seemingly
no longer see the light. He works for a major automotive manufacturer
in the field of recalls. He's the guy who decides whether, or not
to recall a vehicle if there is a safety issue. Needless to say, it's
a rather thankless job, but somebody's gotta do it. He chooses to
escape from this life by buying whatever sorts of consumer goods he
feels define himself as a person. Fortunately for us moviegoers, this
is not enough to sate his desire for belonging.
His first outlet is a multitude of support groups. This segment of
the film is wickedly entertaining. He goes to support groups such
as testicular cancer and tuberculosis, as well as everything in between.
Everything is going great until one day, the woman he later would
refer to as a "tumor" arrives.
Marla (Helena Bonham-Carter) is a "tourist." A person who
simply goes to the meetings out of some sick desire to belong rather
than because she has some sort of affliction. Sounds like a certain
someone else we know, doesn't it. Well that certain someone else takes
exception to her presence and decides to let her know about it.
They manage to come to some sort of agreement and go their separate
ways. This is where Norton meets a soap salesman by the name of Tyler
Durden (Brad Pitt). Tyler is the sort of man who says what he is thinking
and does as he wishes.
After our friend's apartment goes up in a ball of flame, he calls
on Tyler for assistance. It is on this night that, what would come
to be known as Fight Club, was born. It starts out as a few guys on
Saturday nights kicking the shit out of each other and evolves into
a sprawling operation with many franchises nationwide.
Fight Club is the new support group fix for Norton, but as time goes
by it turns out that Fight Club has a much larger purpose than he
ever could have envisioned.
Like I said before. I don't know what turned me off to this film in
the first place. The opening half hour is sensational. Then the film
kinda meanders along it's merry way for the next ninety minutes taking
you wherever it pleases. I must say that as I watch this movie I find
myself not really caring about what direction it is going in, yet
I still enjoy practically every step of the journey.
It has quite a dark sense of humor, which I enjoy immensely. As I
have already said, the opening half hour is wonderful. It is wonderful,
because of it's tongue-in-cheek nature. The laughs are nonstop throughout
this sequence, which is a joy to behold. The scene where Edward Norton
beats the shit out of himself is one of those scenes that you find
yourself laughing at, even when you are thinking about it at work
the next day. Watch the movie and you'll understand.
I have a few minor problems with this film that aren't worth delving
into. My one major problem with this film is the end. This is another
one of those increasingly popular "twist" movies. The twist,
after you watch the film a couple of times, actually makes sense for
the most part. That is, with the exception of the final scene. I won't
get into it for fear of ruining the movie, but when you see it you
will invariably find yourself shaking your head. I understand that
the film needed some form of closure, but what was decided on was
downright foolish and idiotic. It seems as if director David Fincher
decided to stupify his movie by taking it from the level of an educated
filmgoer to that of an eight year old (no offense to you eight year
olds out there). Once again. Watch the movie. I am confident you will
come to the same conclusion.
Despite it's shortcomings, "Fight Club" somehow finds a
way to be interesting, crude, thought-provoking, and humorous throughout.
Definitely one to watch with a group of people, so you can dissect
it afterwards. If you don't care for it the first time around, give
it a second chance a few months later. Maybe it will grow on you like
a certain "tumor" by the name of Marla.
If I had a tumor.......I would call it Fight Club.
NOTE: I thought that the music
during the parking garage fight sequence was disturbingly similar
to the music used during the infinite sequence in "2001: A Space
Odyssey." Dave...... This film doesn't hold a candle to the statement
of statements that is "2001: A Space Odyssey." I found it
disrespectful that it was included in the film, but at the same time
was reminded of what a truly revolutionary statement a movie can be.
That is something that I can safely say "Fight Club" is
not.
