Gritty but not grim; Almost Light and Soulful! Oscar nominations are a shoe-in!

Rating: Null/10 (15 October 1999)

I was pleasantly surprised by "Fight Club." Based on reviews and previews, I expected something heavy, and with a cruel, grim, almost evil undertone. Much like the horribly negative "Seven," by the same director. "Fight Club" was actually almost full of "light." It was, to be sure, gritty, and a little heavy-- but whether due to the actors (all Oscar quality performances, and Yaay! to Brad Pitt for finally doing some acting), or the writing or editing or the director-- it was fluid, humane, almost kind, and with a faint and subtle touch of humor. The humor was never overt-- it was something sensed, not heard. And not the mocking, sarcastic kind of humor one sometimes sees with "artistes" who are a bit to full of themselves-- but an almost gentle, reassuring kind of zen-like reflectivity. This movie was actually about the Soul, and the human heart, and Life, and all that kind of thing. It was more about how to be a happy and successful human, and how to heal your "broken" mind and heart and spirit, than a plot driven star vehicle (which was a nice bonus to me as an audience member, and a bit of a shock, given Brad Pitt and Helena B. Carter's movie track record).
Again, based on the reviews I expected carnage galore. "Rolling Stone" magazine, for example, had me thinking this was so violent it would be a nightmare, or vomit inducing. Nah. As usual, that mag got it wrong. First, the fighting and violence were not the overdone features I was expecting. Scene for scene, other movies such as "Rocky" have shown the same thing. In fact, for a comparison meter, "The Godfather" was far more unsettling and violent than "Fight Club" (come to think of it, any of the "Batman" movies are so dark, violent, and depressing, that "Fight Club" looks like "The Sound of Music" in comparison to them). But even when the movie's violence was depicted graphically, it wasn't particularly awful-- and I am a person who LOATHES graphic violence on-screen.
Why wasn't the violence a problem? I don't know. I can't explain it. Maybe it was so subtle and/or surreal that it was processed differently in my brain. Maybe the richness and high quality of the story was so great that it overshadowed the gore (really, "gore-lite"). I cannot say, but over all, this was a splendid affair!
Oscar noms all around! Helena Bonham Carter was also a surprise-- her English accented Ice Queens and Frigid Virgins in previous roles are nowhere to be seen here. She authentically portrays the genuine article-- the American accent, anyway. She also seemed convincingly and consistently crazy, and that can be hard. So Hurray to John Cusac, Brad Pitt, and H.B. Carter.
If you feared a horror show, or a testosterone-zone flick, fear not. Lighten up a touch, and slide on over to the theater. You'll be glad you did (although for mature audiences-- really! -- only). I gave it a "9."