[Movie 305 / Day 324]
Back in 1999, a couple of movies were released that blew me away. The first was THE MATRIX, which was quite unlike anything I’d seen before. It had the benefit of hype though, having been built up for months before it’s eventual launch. The other movie that blew my mind was FIGHT CLUB. This time though, I went into the cinema utterly cold – I’d literally never heard of the movie before walking in and buying a ticket. And for nearly two and a half hours, I sat there utterly spellbound.
All I had to go on was the title, the fact that it starred two of Hollywood’s hottest young men and that is was directed by that dude that did Se7en. From the moment the screen lit up with that fantastic title sequence; unknowingly travelling from the centre of Edward Norton’s brain, past firing synapses, until we emerge from his mouth and travel along the barrel of a gun jammed between his teeth; I knew we were in for something special.
On first watch, FIGHT CLUB offers much to marvel at – the ‘Ikea’ apartment sequence, with Norton walking through a catalogue; stealing fat; chemical burns; the brutality of the fights themselves; and, obviously, the ending. It’s on repeat viewings, however, that you realise that FIGHT CLUB isn’t just a clever film but a genius film. There are so many clues sprinkled throughout the movie, all pointing to and leading up to that ending. In fact, several times, the Narrator more-or-less tells you what’s going to happen. It’s not particularly subtle, but without knowing what’s going to happen, you’d never spot it.
Rewatching it now, 10 years after that revelatory evening in Bristol’s multiplex, the movie still looks fresh. The CGI composite shot at the very beginning of the movie, where the camera travels through floors and a van and along the street, while the ending of the film is laid out for us, that shot still looks brilliant. The design of the house on Paper Street still looks bang up-to-the-minute, as does most of the clothing.
It’s one of my favourite films ever made, featuring what I consider to be career best performances by Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. It’s David Fincher’s masterpiece and if he ever makes a better movie, I’ll be amazed – and extremely happy.
My Rating: 
[ IMDB rating: 8.8 / 10 | IMDB link | Running time: 139 mins ]
