Unexpected Brilliance

Rating: 9/10 (21 March 2008)

When my brother first told me to watch this film, I dismissed it as another all-action no-storyline movie. It was only once I got into film that I decided to give it a go, and I proved to myself how wrong I had been! At times the violence was hard to watch, but the great acting from Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, among others, had me hooked. The film also had a brilliant plot, which I really didn't expect, which made the film even more appealing; from the very beginning, the characters and relationships are intriguing and yet realistic.
The film follows Jack, (Norton), whose totally average life means he's pushed into total boredom. That's until he meets Tyler Durden, (Pitt), a charismatic character who seems to represent to Jack everything which is appealing in one man. Soon, the two are locked in a violent fight, and find it surprisingly refreshing. And so 'Fight Club' is born - a secret organisation where people go to have friendly, yet often brutal, fights.
However, it's only as the club grows to great success and Jack becomes happier in his newfound importance as joint club-founder, that he comes to realise a shocking truth that will challenge everything he thought about himself and the new life he and Tyler created.
I'ts one of those films where you can watch it over and over again but it just gets better, because you can then realise the subtle hints throughout which make the film brilliant, which you can only fully appreciate once you know the ending.
It's an overall excellent film, and I give it 9/10.