Good thriller, semi-Kafkaesque

Rating: 8/10 (23 August 2005)

A pretty good psychological thriller. Michael Douglas turns in his usual outstanding performance, but then, hey, he's got the genes. The plot is sort of an archetypal one of being manipulated and controlled by unseen forces. Sean Penn is quite good in a small part. Penn is a phenomenal actor, as much as it pains me to say so. Everyone knows his attachment to the political loony left, and this detracts some enjoyment from seeing him ply his craft. He, of course, has freedom of speech, and can say what he pleases, but in the old Hollywood days, the studio moguls kept their biggest stars away from political issues for just this sort of reason. But anyway, check out "The Game". It's worth a rental.