I haven't watched it yet, but I bet it's good. Not Great, but good.

Rating: 7/10 (9 December 2010)

How can I declare that "The Game" will be good, but not great, before I have seen it? By reading other people's comments. The common theme of most of these comments is that "The Game" is a clever, if outrageous, fantasy driven by fine performances from its stars, Michael Douglas - who I have always found to be engaging and believable - and Sean Penn, who is often very effective, but can also be overly theatrical and oddly self conscious. Somehow Sean manages to convey intense discomfort and boundless confidence simultaneously. It's actually kinda weird. In fact, I find Sean to be a weird person - a curious mix of contradictions and clichés. He rails against the abuse and despoliation of our natural wilderness, but he smokes cigarettes furiously. He demands to be acknowledged as a gifted profound artist, but is keen to develop his persona as an "everyman." If he ever manages to stop "acting" - whether in a film, or while being interviewed, or on the location of the latest natural disaster - he suddenly becomes powerfully effective, but those moments are few and far between. He too often comes across as self centered and smug. That's a problem with emotionally fragile personalities - they're afraid to just be themselves.
OK, so now I've trashed Sean Penn without having yet seen his performance. No doubt we can all agree that prejudice is a shameful vice, so I should probably refrain from any more blind conjecture, but this is my dilemma. Should I risk 129 minutes of my so very(?!?) valuable time on a Sean Penn vehicle, wagering that I haven't once again been duped into a another frivolous disappointing distraction? It's a risk, it seems, I'm willing to take if the overall experience is something that at least rates as "pretty good." If I'm right about my hunch on this flick then I'll leave this comment intact after I watch "The Game." If I'm wrong, then I'll add a note correcting my premature condemnation. Maybe I'll be back, maybe not. It's up to Sean...