Bizarrely,absurdly and insanely Brilliant.

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2010)

I believe the movie-watching community is divided into three parts;the ones who love "Fight Club",the ones who hate it and the unfortunate ones who are yet to experience it.To maintain a neutral stance is quite impossible.Once the credits roll, you may be in awe of this logic-defying piece of celluloid or you may detest the seemingly needless depiction of blood,gore and violence.
I belong to the former category and hence,what follows is more of a eulogy than review.So, if you have not seen it I,suggest you first give it a watch and then come back.
This movie does not live on the edge;it goes beyond.It does not border on the bizarre.It quite literally ventures head-on into the bizarre and refuses to return.Simply put,this movie is the rock star of its generation.
The plot revolves about an insomniac (Edward Norton) who is a by-product of the lifestyle obsession.His life is clichÃ©d,branded and superficial;one where the "Starbucks" and "Microsofts" compensate for the complete void of emotion.He gets addicted to support groups for various ailments,pouring out his heart to complete strangers.Among these groups of terminally-ill people he finds solace making him realize he needs an outlet.In Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) our protagonist finds his outlet and we find one of the all-time great movie characters.And they team up to create the Fight Club.It is in the fights here that they feel life;a far cry from the desensitized worlds they dwell in.
To reveal anything beyond this point would be criminal.But to throw light upon the masterful adaptation from Chuck Palahniuk's book is a necessity.
David Fincher's execution oozes style in every frame.Each scene brings out his innovation and is a sheer delight from start to finish.The casting is exemplary as Edward Norton as well as Helena Bonham Carter (having quite an integral role) play their parts to precise perfection.But Pitt's Tyler Durden is the zenith of Fight Club.His every word and mannerism is cult.So Hats off to Brad Pitt.As bad as his "Achilles" in "Troy" may be, his Tyler is,by now, immortal.Beyond that, tight screenplay,impactful dialogs,effective light and sound,a wacky score and stellar direction catapult it into a timeless classic.
The essence of "Fight Club" lies in its sadomasochistic theme.It shows us the beauty of anarchy and the symmetry of insanity.It asks us to let go,to reject consumerism and to pull ourselves out from the deluge of brand-consciousness,without ever sounding preachy.It asks us to be alive.Blood-splattered fights may not be the most subtle way of telling us but "How much can you know about yourself if you haven't been in a fight?" is the Tyler-istic way of saying it.
I am Jack's mesmerized head bowed in admiration.