Breaking the First Rule

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2020)

I have probably seen this at least a dozen times, but it's been years since my last viewing. As my appreciation of film has grown I worried this would wane in my mind but wow, so not the case. If anything the opposite is true.
Every time I watch this I catch something new. So deep and so intricate is the craftsmanship and the message that even on repeat viewings there's something new to take away from it. The commentary it makes on society and our place in it is exceptional. It's ability to capture the state of ennui of the late '90s and somehow make that perpetually relevant even 20+ years later astounds me.
Pitt and Norton booth give tremendous performances that to the charts of films I've seen them in. This is the movie that first made me develop a solid admiration for their respective talents. The style and artistry are most definitely Fincher and they fit perfectly here. I love the way he makes the city a character without ever needing to identify it. He fully trusts his audience in every respect and doesn't feel the need to spell things out or spoon feed us at any time.
Yup, hard love on this one. Definitely an all time favorite for me. I still strongly recommend this to anyone that hasn't seen it and also heavily advise that people go into this without doing any research or digging. The less you know, the better. After all, the first rule of Fight Club...