Thought provoking and riveting.

Rating: 7/10 (14 April 2007)

Fight Club is one of the most exciting and thought provoking movies I have ever seen. It stands out from most movies I've ever seen in that it seems to follow no rules, to have no limits. It doesn't follow some standard over used formula as the majority of movies do (not that that can't work well, for example the Spider-man movies).
I don't think it's about finding some simple solution or philosophy for life - it's about asking questions that people don't normally ask and pushing these ideas to their extremes. The answers and overall meaning of the movie are left to the audience. Is it about an insomniac that gradually turns insane and takes some pretty stupid ideas way too far? Or is it suggesting that we are prisoners of our society the way it is and need to free ourselves and find out who we really are (by fighting each other and blowing things up 'n' stuff)?
Either way, I found the movie very thought provoking and refreshingly original. The violence in Fight Club didn't bother me the least bit. I'm sure there are plenty of people that enjoy this movie primarily for the violence but I don't that should mean the movie is criticised for it's violence (as many critics have). After all, it is integral to the story and it's a superficial point to dismiss a movie on.
Controversial philosophical ideas aside, Fight Club is also pretty funny (in a dark way), satirising the nature of modern consumerism and repetitive office work. Viewed as more of a dreamt philosophical exploration than a series of real events I think the humour really comes out. The book seems to have this kind of tone, I don't think it's all meant to be taken literally or too seriously.
I thought the directing, acting, writing (dialogue in particular) and editing were all top notch and the music by the Dust Brothers was pretty cool too (and fitted well with the movie). I highly recommend Fight Club to anyone who hasn't yet seen it, I doubt it will be quite like anything else you've ever seen.