A truly brilliant film.

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2004)

Going into FIGHT CLUB, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I had really seen of the movie was a bunch of sweaty, bloody men fighting in a basement with others watching and cheering them on... But then, I had also heard from many people that it was exceedingly good. Hence my uncertainty.
What I got, I certainly wasn't prepared for.
FIGHT CLUB is so much more than just sweaty men beating each other up. It is, in reality, a truly brilliant film about the world we live in and our lives--how pathetic and pointless they may actually be. It is filled with satire and social commentary, and is easily the most thought-provoking film I've seen in a long, long time. Anybody who can't see the symbolism of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), or the Narrator (Edward Norton), or basically any of the characters, or of the fight clubs themselves, must have a heart of steel, and a brain of such.
Sure, on the surface, FIGHT CLUB isn't much. Well, it is, but it's when you have the intellect and experience that you can dig deeper and uncover the film's true brilliance. It's there.
On top of its brilliant use of satire and irony, FIGHT CLUB is still an excellent film. Everything from the direction, to the script, to the actors (all of which surprised me in being very good, namely Norton and Pitt) is exceptional. From the opening moment you get drawn in to the lives of everyday characters with true depth to them, and you're in for one hell of a film. You'll laugh throughout, find links and morals to our society and our role in society as consumers, and find yourself marveling at the absolutely epic closing shot.
I hadn't yet found a film that I will readily give a perfect score, a 10 out of 10. FIGHT CLUB is the first. 10/10.