A Favorite and a Classic!

Rating: 9/10 (28 September 2018)

Ever since I first watched this movie a few years back with some of my friends, I loved it. It became a sort of habit of ours to watch it every couple weeks or at least once a month while we laughed and quoted the whole thing for fun.
Anyways, what makes this movie better than what the 1999 box office credited it with, is the filmography. My favorite use of camera and film techniques probably had to be the moment where Tyler describes the meaningless of possessions in a shot inside their house as it wobbles from side to side. His calm demeanor reminds you more of Jack rather than himself and his more aggressive tone, creating a sense of foreshadowing the ultimate climax when Jack realizes he is Tyler and Tyler is him. It's also very interesting to see the change from a clear and sunny day in the city to the yellow-tinted bars, basements, and ultimately the abandoned house Jack and Tyler live in at night. There's a feeling of the underground's grime and dirt in these transitions, as well as a feel for the tougher moments in life that are a central theme in this movie.
This movie also made a high ranking for me because it makes you think. In 1999, people were looking for stability in the shadow of Y2K. They weren't thinking about giving up everything they had, but preserving it and gathering more possessions, as highlighted throughout the film yet again as a central theme. This film goes exactly against contemporary consumer society at the time by instead of telling people to "buy stuff we don't need", it emphasizes the ideas of minimalism and even tribalism in some aspects when Tyler talks about "starting over" again. What sticks with this movie is that it's message still sticks to us today, perhaps even stronger than in 1999.