Entertaining and clever

Rating: 9/10 (14 April 2001)

Before I watched this film, I heard some people compare it to the Truman show. First of all the Truman Show has Jim Carrey (a clown 'actor' - his 'acting' abilities are badly shown up here), this has Micheal Douglas, the Truman show is totally boring and unintelligent, this is entertaining and intelligent. In summary the Truman show is rubbish this is again quite the opposite.
I think this film is entertaining from start to finish as an action/thriller intends to be, but avoids all the common action cliches involved of tacky one-liners when something blows up. It also has clever twisting plot, in that it constantly leaves the view wondering whether he's been conned out of all his money and his life, or whether it is 'just a game'. The same applies to the characters involved, you never really sure who's real and who's not. You can also see the point of the game in trying to add excitement to his mundane and seemingly unhappy life, the old chestnut of being rich, but so what? its only money - is clearly present. The direction, acting, set design, stunts etc are all very impressive as well, and most of all the attention to detail.
With all these elements put together I think this is a very good film, one of the best films I've seen made in the late 1990's. (Along with Lock Stock, Snatch, Smoke (1995), and American Beauty). Also note: Traffic is superb, watch it (video/DVD in America, cinema in UK), if you haven't already.
Admitably this film has many 'flaws' plot wise, in that obviously CMS couldn't practically do all the things they did, with the precision they did. But this doesn't necessary mean that the film isn't good nevertheless, we don't know if this is set futuristically - where some of things could be possible, due to technology currently unimagineable. And theres no reason that he wouldn't react the way he did right at the very end, everyone is different - its naive to think he would be angry necessarily rather than relieved.
Although I can see how this film isn't for all tastes, as a sense of realism is essential to some people - maybe the less open-minded and unadventurous audience, who knows? I gave this film 9/10.