The Game

After the great success, both with critics and with the public, of "Seven", Director David Fincher turned to this film. It has often been said that this movie was one he'd wanted to make for a long time and upon viewing you can really see his belief in both characters and the story- overall an excellently directed movie.

Although several people argued that "Seven" was gory, in my opinion it wasn't, for example, there is a total lack of blood in the Lust scene, something which I particularly admired- the fact that a director could make a chilling and shocking movie without resorting to piling tons of blood onto the screen. Fincher continues this streak in "The Game" by drawing the tension and shocks of the film by using psychological terror.

Unfortunately, the movie could not parallel the success of "seven" upon its release and also received mixed critical reviews, however since then it has become somewhat of a cult movie with far more success on DVD than in the box office.

Perhaps most notable about the film is the fact that (apparently) Fincher himself often seems to direct his actors in a detached way, the way one might move around chess pieces in a game. Whether this is 100% true or not his direction, the acting and just about everything else is superb.

Having conquered the critics (and the box-office) with Se7en, David Fincher could have "sold out" and kept delivering more of the same. Fortunately, he was wise enough to try different paths, and although all his movies can be classified as thrillers there's no real similarity between them, except maybe a common theme of alienation and solitude.

In Fincher's third film, The Game, that solitude is physically incarnated by Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a wealthy businessman who is so obsessed with his job he has forgotten everything about the simple joys of life. The only person who still stays in touch with him is his younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn), who is Nicholas' polar opposite in terms of attitude. One night, when they're out to celebrate the elder brother's birthday, Conrad mentions a "game" that changed his life and suggests Nicholas participate too, as it would be "fun". Though initially hesitant, the latter eventually gives in to curiosity and decides to give it a shot. Within a few hours, however, he will regret it: the "game" is actually some sort of conspiracy involving everyone in town. With his assets frozen, his apartment no longer a safe place and no one left to trust, Nicholas must figure out how to solve the problem before it's too late - for him or someone else...

As usual, Fincher makes sure the film works on a technical level, cleverly using camera angles, lighting (shades of red and brown being the dominant color) and editing to keep the suspense alive and the atmosphere conveniently murky. It is mainly this masterful handling of film-making tools that keeps the viewer from questioning the logic of the nonetheless brilliant screenplay, some of the twists giving the impression of a dystopic set-up rather than a plausible situation (and yet the script is supposedly based on a real event). Two other elements contribute to elevating The Game above the average mystery tale: a truly unpredictable, phenomenal ending, in pure Fincher tradition (well, at least until he made Panic Room), and the great work by the leading men, Douglas' paranoid desperation slyly erasing all hints of typecasting (after all, this is not the first time he has played someone who is being manipulated; in fact, one scene explicitly spoofs one of those previous movies) and Penn's smug anarchy anticipating director's masterpiece, Fight Club, and its central character, Tyler Durden (without a doubt Brad Pitt's best role to date).

In short, those looking for a "different" cinematic experience should give The Game a try: it might come off as overly cold or contrived at first, but like all of Fincher's movies it deserves a re-evaluation (Fight Club wasn't exactly a hit when originally released) and stands the test of time as one of the most original, smartest films of the '90s.

Sean Penn is not the most popular celebrity and has created a few enemies over the years. However, this does not make his performance nor the film "The Game" something to avoid...and considering I am no fan of him as a person, the fact I loved the movie so much says a lot. THE GAME is exceptional...and you'd be doing yourself a favor by watching it. THE GAME is one heck of a great film, as I give it a well-deserved score of 9 because it's so well written and entertaining. It is one of the most exciting and riveting films of recent memory. You've got to see this film! I'll say no more because I don't want to spoil it.

All star casting and performances, creative and suspenseful writing, excellent directing, and spot on cinematography and score. A little far fetched you say? Maybe not if you're RICH rich. Either way, that's the point, and why it was so fun! Maybe one day we'll see a Part 2. A well deserved 9/10 from me.

Very few films have captured my attention the way The Game did. Every turn, every corner seemed to have some hint of intrigue and deception. This film would be the life's work for any major film maker, but then again, this David Fincher were talking about.

Years from now, when Fincher is honored with his lifetime achievement award at the Academy Awards, his true fans will always remember this film. It put a whole new twist on the idea of "plot-twist." One of the few films me and my father both liked (we never agree on any film).