Fight Club

Rating: 7/10 (19 April 2006)

From director David Fincher (AlienÂ³, Se7en, Panic Room) this is a very inventive film with some strong violence, great acting and cool twists. Basically The Narrator/Jack (Edward Norton) is the office employee loser suffering severe insomnia, and he starts visiting therapy groups to get some attention from people, all for illnesses he doesn't have, apparently helping him sleep. Then he meets "tourist Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) who is almost the same. Later, on a plane, he meets soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) who as time goes by becomes a good friend and companion. One day, Tyler asks Jack to hit him as hard as he can, and this inspires them to create their own therapy group, Fight Club, where men can express themselves through extreme violence. Tyler has built up groups of faithful followers from the club, and they soon indulge in anarchic and destructive activities to basically kill commercialism. Jack realises the extent of Tyler's power and doesn't want to be part of it, but the big revelation will be Tyler's true person, he is Jack's alter ego who has been acting through Jack. Also starring singer Meat Loaf as Robert 'Bob' Paulson, Zach Grenier as Richard Chesler, Richmond Arquette as Intern and Terminator 3's David Andrews as Thomas. The iconic moments are Jack fighting himself in front of his boss, and the fights between Jack and Tyler (or technically just himself). It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing. Brad Pitt was number 15 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 5 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, Pitt was also number 52 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, and Helena Bonham Carter was number 41, and Pitt number 30 on The World's Greatest Actor, Carter was also number 13 on The 50 Greatest British Actresses, and the film was number 36 on Film 4's 50 Films To See Before You Die. Very good!