Watch it! Then watch it again, again, again, and AGAIN!

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2001)

What a film! Fincher's fourth film? No? YES! The man is a genius (especially when he and Pitt unite!) When I saw this film for the first time, I was completely blown away! I wanted to immediately rush back into the cinema and watch it all over again! But I thought, "No, I'll wait for the video/DVD". So I bought it and have since watched it at least 20 times, and guess what? It gets better every single time! You see things that you completely missed before. Lines take on different meaning's. It's full of in-gags and self mocking.
Based on the not so well known novel at the time, Fincher created a 'hit' that really 'hit' home. (pardon the 'hitting' puns!) I have since read the novel four times, and it too gets better with each reading, but the film is a wonderful transfer from book to film and wins out due to a few alterations that make more sense compared to the book.
The concept seems relatively easy to grasp when a virgin viewer is prone to watching the film, but I guartantee they will come out thinking "What the hell?!" which is what this film does, it makes you think, or at least it SHOULD.
The title is kinda misleading. It does tell us what the film is about, and what we can expect, but it doesn't REALLY tell us what the film is about.

Many critics have slammed the film for it's gratuitous use of violence, what ARE they on about?! Grow up is it??!! In my opinion, the title 'Fight Club' doesn't really lead you to believe that you're going to watch a U certificated Disney film are you?! It's an 18, and deservedly so, but their point I believe is that the film would spawn a thousand Tyler Dyrden's ready to start their own fight club's.
I like the use of self mocking in the film. There is one scene where Pitt (Dyrden) and Norton (Narrator) are on a bus and they look at a poster with a man's 'six pack', and Dyrden comments to the Narrator, "Is that what a man looks like?". Earlier we have seen Dyrden's impeccable torso and abs. Not to sound gay but, what a body! This tongue in cheek, self mocking, is one of many examples in the film
I really like the overall message of the film : 'You are not your job. You are not you're bank account.' the message being, let's stop being so bloody materialistic.
Dyrden : "You know what a duvet is?"
Narrator : "Comfort"
Dyrden : "No man, it's just a duvet!"
Quite rightly said. Why buy Calvin Klein? Talk about living in the rat race...let's all be little droids that do what we're told and buy what consumer's want us too - pathetic!
Anyway, I could go on and on (I think I might have done). Great film. Great cast. Helena Bonham Carter finally shows us that she can act outside of a corset, cast beautifully against type! Fincher's controlled direction, and good handling of the entire plot make this a must buy, let alone a must see! Perfect 10! Enjoy.