Violence, mayhem, soap insomnia and madness

Rating: 10/10 (26 August 2006)

Jack's chronic sleeplessness, it was very severe causing him real pain to the extent that he visited a doctor who suggested Valerian root, healthy natural sleep. When Jack objects to the doctor's apparent lack of concern: "Come on now I'm in pain here" he suggested to drop into a nearby testicular cancer self help group to see what "real" pain was.
Hooked on self-help or support groups and the result is his insomnia disappears.
New found peace of mind is ruined by Marla Singer's (Helena Bonham Carter) amusing visit to the testicular cancer group.
Returning home he discovers that someone has blown up his flat and he phones a soap salesman he met on the plane earlier; a charismatic fully confident philosopher, morally challenged but tough, witty, intelligent and maybe even "creepy".
After Tyler requests Jack to hit him they beat each other up. Bystanders watching become interested and Fight Club is born.
Tyler pours lye over poor Jacks hand and smacks him about, it is an intense scene one of the most memorable in the whole film the dialogue is exhilarating but some of Tylers assertions like so many in the film are plainly wrong!
We get a clearer picture of this man Tylers character, flawed in nearly everyway imaginable and yet not only has a profound influence on Jack (banning him from speaking to Marla about him) but on other members of the Club which now stay with him. The club has grown and changed into a kind of "Secret Army" Warring against anything Tyler holds in derision. If the idea of hurting each other, getting the male aggression out of the system and riding the storm of a disenfranchised sub group of men trying to navigate the worlds problems as they all in some way have to endure the testosterone charged bodies as inadequate as this is portrayed well yet as we see their is a loss of control now and others who get in the way with Tyler's fixed twisted ideas can get seriously hurt. The madness of the "plot" unfolds, Tylers desire to demolish certain key financial buildings and bring chaos to the world where everyone would be equal again financially is farcical.
Then Tyler disappears. Poor Jack doesn't hide his broken heart alluding to the departure of his dad as similar and what obviously had a big impact on his life. Marla makes an appearance and wonders why Jack is saying Tyler is gone. She is visibly saddened if not also puzzled and leaves dejectedly.
He eventually finds Tyler after speaking about him to Marla Singer.
Marla is brought up to Jack by his Fight Club mates. Tyler is now dead. The film ends with buildings falling down as Marla and Jack watch on; and to the sound of The Pixies song, Where is my Mind.
Corporate greed, the influence of a culture or world immersed in materialism and devoid of spiritual growth; the nonchalance of Doctors, mental health problems; it's all there.