I am Jack's favorite movie of all time

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2003)

*** Possible Spoilers ***
I've watched this movie at least 10 times, and never get bored with it. It's fast paced, well acted, and perfectly cast. Edward Norton is dynamite as the sardonic narrator, and Brad Pitt puts in what may be his best performance ever, as the enigmatic and charismatic Tyler Durden. Strong supporting roles from Meatloaf and Helena Bonham Carter help to round out a memorable group of characters.
This is a tale about a 30-something middle class white American man who has lost his soul. He's had his human spirit beaten out of him by his pointless job, and by the values forced upon society by the mass marketing efforts of large corporations. His dispair causes him to suffer from insomnia, and the only relief he can get comes from attending support groups for diseases he does not have.
Norton, who plays this young man, credited only as "Narrator", has a chance meeting with Tyler Durden (Pitt), and through a series of circumstances, they come to live together. Tyler shows him another way to live, letting go of his attachment to material possessions, and working his way toward "hitting bottom". This new lifestyle offers a new freedom, and a new inspiration for him, but as Tyler keeps raising the stakes, he finds it harder and harder to cope.
Carter plays Marla, a down and out, eccentric woman who Norton meets at his support groups. She goes to these groups for the entertainment they offer, and for the free coffee. Norton is in love with Marla, although he won't admit it to himself, and a strange love triangle develops when Marla ends up sleeping with Tyler.
Norton is the poster child for a generation of lost souls like himself, and ultimately finds out that he is not alone. When he and Tyler begin to hold regular fights with each other outside of a sleazy bar late at night, others are attracted to the action. They ask to join in. Tyler organizes them into "Fight Club" which becomes a type of therapy for these young men who share Norton's disillusionment with life.
Fight Club is only the beginning. Tyler proves to be a natural leader, and soon turns the club into something so much more than what it was at first. Norton becomes frightened by the escalations, and fights to keep control of his life. If you've never seen the film before, you're in for a surprise that will leave you wanting to watch it again, seeing it through the eyes of one who is "in the know."
Be warned, if you hate to watch violence, this may not be the film for you. Reviewers defend the film, saying there is more violence in the first 10 minutes of the critically acclaimed "Saving Private Ryan" than there is in this entire move. This may be true, but Fight Club's violence is more personal. It's an in your face type of violence which forces you to sit up and take notice. If you can handle a few broken teeth and black eyes without getting squeamish, then you're in for a treat.
This movie can be disturbing at times. It is nihilistic, provocative, insensitive, and violent, but it is extremely well done. For me, it was fresh and unpredictable. You may not like it, but you won't be bored by it. I give it 4 stars, two thumbs up, and a bar of soap.