guilty pleasure (missing the point?)

Rating: 9/10 (18 November 2001)

I must admit that when i first saw this movie i loved it up until the "liposuction" scene. I thought that it was simply there for shock value until i saw it again and came to the conclusion that every review i've read is missing the point of who Tyler Durden really is. Everyone takes the story at face value, but maybe Tyler is really the devil. (security cameras don't lie... hint hint) Most people seem a bit too enamored with Brad Pitt for my taste. He's a perfect choice to play Tyler I feel because he is so easy to hate in this movie. It's sad that Ed Norton doesn't get his props in the movie. (Brad this and Brad that blahblahblah) It is Ed's deadpan narration and odd mix of antisocial-empathy that are central to the movie for me.
The scathing sarcasm is a perfect foil for the films redeeming social commentary which is unfortunately offset by it's appealing to the audience's basest voyeuristic desires. (give 'em what they want) If anything this film was designed to test the boundaries of good taste (if you see it on VHS you'll miss the worst line of dialogue ever: "I want to have your abortion.") If that isn't purient pandering... i don't know what is. Don't get me wrong, this film delivers comedy in spades. Cornelius' "power animal" is hysterical as is his revelation regarding Marla or Chloe's take on the famous line "medication time". The film is filled with sly homages to some of Hollywood's greatest films ever: Bladerunner, One flew over the cuckoo's nest, Harold and Maude, Planet of the apes, 1984, Room with(out) a view, The last Emperor, and alot of the late Stanley Kubrik's films. I'm a bit surprised that it made the 30's in the top 250 as i don't think of it as even slightly mainstream, but 30,000+ people liked it. I'll admit i like it too, parts of it intensely. The love story part of the movie is both funny and sad at the same time. It was really a treat to see Helena Bonham Carter drop her prim and proper victorian persona and British accent and get down and dirty. She does a good job of being both beautiful and repulsive at the same time, may she never be typecast again! I give a recommendation based on it's beautiful yet ugly cinematography, outrageous comedy, unique love story and it's mostly missed message: "The world is being destroyed and we're all to blame." It's too sad that the world just doesn't get it, but then again... John Lennon couldn't save the world either.