Brutal, aggressive, inquisitive, and insightful. *** out of ****.

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2000)

FIGHT CLUB / (1999) ***
Viewing "Fight Club," the new drama by assertive director David Fincher, is like walking through graffiti-laden streets of a crime-ridden suburban city; it is dark, brutal, gritty, troublesome, and hostile. This film is all of those things, but in this circumstance I use such adjectives to the production's credit. "Fight Club" is a coarse, unpleasing journey into the lives of its narcotic characters, but it is for those exact same reasons why I find myself recommending the movie to audiences with strong stomachs. If this film was anything but what I have already described, we would be appalled at such deserving controversy and violent content contained. The hostility of "Fight Club" is the main factor of which why it succeeds; the raucous style contributes in making a convincing, entertaining, and recklessly original story.
Edward Norton stars as the movie's narrator, an insomniac spending his petty days working in an office and sleepless nights seeking out clinics in which he provides comfort to those less fortunate than he. One of the people he meets is an overweight but gentle pedestrian named Robert Paulson (Meat Loaf), a victim of testicular cancer. He also meets a sleazy, foul-mouthed drifter like himself named Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter).
Norton's character development is quite unusual; although effective and versatile, the introduction, as is with the rest of the movie, is extremely bleak. It is as if the characters are creating an anti-society story through some perverse behaviors. We witness the movie through the Narrator's point of view, who ends up explaining more of the plot than necessary.
During a plane flight, our undervalued narrator encounters a cocky and well-dressed soap sales representative named Tyler Durden (Brat Pit), whose sarcastic and outspoken notions create a charisma between both individuals. Shortly afterwards, the Narrator's apartment blows apart, leaving him nowhere to seek shelter but with Tyler. This enigmatic man then organizes an underground sensation called Fight Club, in which young men inquire pleasure out of beating each other into bloody carnage. This secret society, located in the basement of a local bar, allows its members to find self-discovery and freedom through brawls and scuffles.
"Fight Club" is crafted stirringly from structured innovation to production designs. Art director Chris Gorak, production designer Alex McDowell, and cinematographer Jeff Cornenweth capture the film's subversive atmosphere with vivid detail and descriptive style and dazzling lighting techniques. Costume designs by Michael Kaplan contribute to the development of Tyler Durden with distinctive, creative outfits.
David Fincher is currently one of my favorite directors. His striking and suspenseful thrillers "The Game" and "Seven" captured my attention thoroughly with sharp characters and focused narratives. "The Game" detailed a wealthy executive immersed in confederacy who must overcome a variety of challenges to survive. "Fight Club" is more or less the same topic, in which a rebellious benefactor assists in taking charge of his lack of freedom through violent encounters. This production contains plot twists and a climatic resolution that may require more reasoning and thought than the majority of an audience will be willing to submit.
"Fight Club" contains enough extreme graphic violent content for several movies, yet few characters end up with severe injuries. When a tough young man beats someone's face into the ground, resulting in so much gore he is hardly recognizable, you would expect that person to end up in critical condition at the hospital. However, many characters in this movie engage in uncultivated attacks but appear in modest condition the following day. I guess this movie centers more on its theme than the character's actual course of action, which is obligatory for success.
Brad Pitt captures Tyler Durden with a macho, politically incorrect attitude; he is the right choice for his character, with a hunky physical appearance and appropriate style, this is one of the actor's career peak performances. Edward Norton proves he is more qualified in productions like this and "American History X" rather than light-hearted romantic comedies like "Keeping The Faith." He apprehends the difficult character with proficiency and sophisticated detail.
"Fight Club" is one of the more difficult movies I have reviewed in quite a while. With its contentious messages, studio hype, audience anticipation, and the actual film itself, you are reading a strenuously written critique. My reaction to this movie was a mixture between startling amazement and baffling perplexity, furthermore, "Fight Club" is a production containing ideas audiences will be discussing long after its finale; it is the kind of movie that may require seconds helpings for some inquiring viewers.