It keeps getting better

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2011)

I just saw this movie again on cable and it didn't disappoint. Many people talk about the implausibility of Nicholas just happening to find the 'sweet spot' to jump from and other similar occurrences. I would guess that these are the same folks who grouse about the benign landing of the spacecraft from Krypton - right after they watch a movie about a man flying around in tights and a cape. It's the utter implausibility of it all that makes the story. Actually this movie is like the butterfly effect - with thousands of possible variations, every one of Nicholas' actions, if not perfectly taken at the exact moment necessary, would ruin the outcome. It boggles the mind but makes for great cinema. I think the movie is really about Nicholas, a solitary man who believes he is in total control of a life scarred by his father's death and the responsibility he shoulders as a result. The Game continually undermines that control until, at the end, he surrenders, emotionally and physically. Compare Nicholas' body language from early in the movie to when he is led off the giant airbag - Michael Douglas pulls it off beautifully. I wonder if he got into the cab with Christine...