Sudsy Existence

Rating: 10/10 (10 April 2004)

The Concept: 'Ferris Bueller' meets 'Apocalypse Now' meets Alice
I have a profound respect for David Fincher. I even found 'Alien3' interesting despite the hate club following. 'Se7en', 'Game', and 'Panic' are likewise interesting on different levels, but this is, hands-down, his best work.
This is your only spoiler warning...
This is such a detail rich experience that I don't know where to begin. I shudder to think what Bruckheimer would've done with this material, especially if he'd given it to Michael Bay. 'Fight Club' has the sons of two of our best photographers (Cronenworth & Hall), the producer of some of DePalma's interesting material (Linson), and some of the most effectively layered writing I've ever seen. Almost everything that could be covered IS covered with more skill than 'Beautiful Mind', 'Sixth Sense', or 'Matrix' had.
I haven't seen this energetic of an opener since 'Catch-22' and, unlike 'Catch', that enthusiasm is sustained throughout. Of course there are predictable elements like the "circle of life", "illusion of safety", and hyperbole sex--but that's not what held my interest. Here we have a self-referential editing style: a method that is quick and skittish, (obviously interfered with) in a film that lambastes the technique. I should mention the original sound design and visuals--'Blade Runner' and 'Beelejuice' with the skewed color scheme trademark of Fincher's work. Must be Fox's way of making up for the disastrous 'Episode 1' that year. Again, Bottin knows what Fincher wants and creates more beautiful deformities.
This movie is about reality, abstractions of reality, memories, and surreality. I hope Fincher will give us another glimpse of it, but--in the meantime--this will have to do.
Final Analysis = = Learn from this...