You Do Not Talk About Fight Club

Rating: 8/10 (12 August 2017)

The first (and second) rule of Fight Club is "You do not talk about Fight Club". So I won't divulge too much.
The entire production is an achievement in of itself. Somewhat like The Usual Suspects (1995), there are some twists and surprises. The editing, cinematography, production design, sound, etc. all contribute to the effect, which is quite difficult to do. To give just enough in the first viewing, but the second viewing reveals all.
However, to me, the whole thing feels empty. The film gives a lot of advice about life, but never really says much. Yes, there's a whole entire level below the visual and audio level revealing a hidden satire, complete with subliminal messages, but, to me, it just does not have substance. No character development, no theme, no significant plot. It really just comes down to one element. Fight Club is, by far, not my favorite film, but I give credit where credit is due. Fincher's primary goal was that when the movie was over, to at least have the viewer think about what they just saw. Most likely, for every viewer that has seen this movie, Fincher achieved his goal.