Blunt, important and stylish -- not just a guy's movie

Rating: 8/10 (16 August 2006)

"Rule number 1 of Fight Club: You do not talk about Fight Club."
Satirical, entertaining, bold, challenging and heavily stylized. Usually if a film has one of these qualities it is a good accomplishment. But David Fincher' acclaimed Fight Club (1999) has all of them, thereby cementing its status as upcoming cult in cinema. This is an important film that bravely plunges into the exploration of human issues like violence and depression, and that does so with flair and fury. It also sprinkles good doses of humour onto its final product, making Fight Club an enjoyable ride.
Edward Norton is a thirty year old office worker, lazily frozen in a comatose state of ordering IKEA furniture and getting hounded by his boss. What takes him and shakes him is the arrival of Tyler Duren (Brad Pitt) who introduces him to a subculture of anarchy and a club called 'Fight Club'.
Fight Club is an extremely graphic, violent and blunt portrayal of society and it looks into human nature. While Edward Norton's character as 'The Narrator' is an extreme case study, we all recognise aspects of his life and the thoughts in his head. The only problem as far as I'm concerned are the actors. You can never get away from the 'Pitt factor' in Brad Pitt's performance and it is often distracting. Edward Norton's narration often feels flat and emotionless. This would have been very appropriate in the beginning of the film, but as it progresses and he begins to feel more alive, his lifeless tone drags down the quality.
This wouldn't make my top 20, but it'd probably make my top 30 list.
8/10