Very pleasantly surprised

Rating: 7/10 (13 July 2003)

Another student brought this into my film studies class because he was studying David Fincher as an auteur, and without thinking about who the director was I looked at the box art (a picture of Michael Douglas) and made a very premature assumption of the quality of the film. We had the choice of either watching this or "Seven", and I was quietly wishing he had chosen Seven.
Fortunately, very early into the film I became hooked. From the start, the plot was fantastic and every time a new twist in the plot unfolded I became hooked even more. Then, disaster struck. The lesson was only and hour long and I had to stop watching. I'm a student with no money - how was I supposed to get this film so I could see the second half!? The part of this film I'd watched amazed and intrigued me so much that I had to find a copy of this film any way I could.
That night, I was going to rent the DVD at Blockbuster - something which I rarely do because it's so costly. When I was on my way there, my friend invited me to stay at his house and watch some Ruggero Deodato films (his subject for the auteur project). How could I refuse? The next morning we went to a bootfair, and armed with a little bit of cash I went around looking for videos to add to my collection. By this time I'd completely forgotten about renting "The Game" and I didn't expect to see it being sold at a bootfair. You'd have to be insane to get rid of a film like what I'd seen half of! Thing is, I did! It was a timecode version from a rental store I assume. The BBFC certificate logo had TBC stamped all over it and the sleeve was double sided with two versions of the cover art on.
It was easily worth the two pounds I spent on it! The rest of the film was even better than the half I had already seen. As the film progresses, there are so many twists and turns in the plot you almost forget what film you're watching! Michael Douglas is very convincing, and seems as confused as the viewer, as does Sean Penn. I was extremely surprised with Deborah Unger's performance too, having only seen her in David Cronenberg (the auteur I'm studying)'s "Crash". Her roles in the two films are so incredibly different I didn't realize it was her at first!
If you want a gripping thriller, go for this one. You won't want to be in the same situation I was and have to stop watching half way through, it's so gripping you'll be on the edge of your seat until the closing credits. Watch it if you're looking for something slightly different to the norm too, as with all Fincher's films. Whatever you're looking for, you won't be disappointed with "The Game" unless you're so much of a pedant you have to point out every flaw in the plot (all of which can be justified).
This film will have you paranoid and slightly doubtful about everything you do for quite a while after watching it.