Better Than The Book

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2018)

I never thought I'd say that.
Still, it's true. Chuck Palahniuk's novel is (understandably) a bit sloppy in places. Debuts often are. The pacing isn't great. That is, the ending's awkwardly abrupt and certain characters (notably Marla Singer) appear to quickly. Arguably, these little flaws help portray the Narrator's messy mind... though they still annoyed me greatly.
The movie, on the other hand, corrects these mistakes. Marla is introduced after the Narrator has attended numerous (unneeded) support meetings. That dramatic, destructive finale feels more, well, final. It's beautiful, too - in a horrifying way.
Some people complain about the bad/outdated CGI sequences. In my opinion, they add to the 'distant' feel. After many sleepless nights most things seem false... plastic. Computer generated. I would know, having suffered from insomnia for decades. Edward Norton's monotonous narration captures that stilted, strange state quite well.
Anyway, overall, this movie's fantastic for a variety of reasons. Though I still think you ought to read the book first... just because...

M. L. Lanzillotta