fresh but not deep

Rating: 7/10 (15 September 2005)

Okay, this movie is not Deep. Edward Norton rejects the consumer culture and dreams of being a primal dude and the character is brought to life. The notion of the fight clubs is like something out of a 20th century novel. I'm talking mid-20th century. We are now in the 21st century. This is not challenging stuff. Rejecting consumerism? Wow that's so edgy. You know what though? For a movie with this kind of a budget, it is PRETTY edgy. And that's about all you can say. Usually a movie with sets like this and the scale of this movie you would expect a more conservative viewpoint. You wouldn't expect a blatant dissing of the modern life. One negative for this movie is Fincher's complete lack of ability to direct Actors. Yes, he knows what to tell the D.P. and what to tell the production designer - he's one of the best at that - but having auditioned for him, i know firsthand what he tells actors, and my impression was he doesn't have a clue. He comes from music videos, not theatre. As a result, do you relate to Ed Norton's character? I sure don't. By contrast, PT Anderson, a GREAT actor's director, can director actors. Tell me you don't feel Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights. Rant over.