The Game
The Game is a fantastic movie from director David Fincher that explores the lines between reality and fantasy in an intriguing context. A man is given a chance to play something called the “Game” run by some extremely cloak and dagger corporation. However, he doesn’t know the rules of the game or the end objective. Soon, the game begins and the man finds that he does not like the rules, the action, or the fact that his life is completely out of control and run at the whim of some corporation that he can’t even find.
Fincher manages to capture some of the visual brilliance that he displayed in movies like Se7en and Fight Club, but the visuals are a little more toned down and true to real life. There are a few memorable scenes that are truly wonderful to behold and the lighting, for the most part, adds to the ambience of the scenes. Fincher once again shows that he knows how to build a coherently proficient tale that is more than meets the eye.
The acting in the film is awesome. Michael Douglas plays another sleazy high society type, who isn’t as mean or dirty as most of those stereotypes, but he definitely is cold than a vagina at the South Pole. Douglas’ performance might be too good in this movie, because even though some pretty terrible things happen to him, I never really felt like I cared… I might even have been rooting for bad things to happen to him… like that Michael Vick guy. I just don’t feel for slick corporate types, and I’m not sure if that was what Fincher of Douglas had in mind for the character.
Sean Penn and Deborah Unger also hand in some quality performances. Penn plays the brother of the protagonist and gets him “The Game” as a birthday present. The only thing he tells his brother is that “The Game” is a life changing experience… some brother. Penn’s performance is delightfully subtle and downplayed throughout the film, until a critical moment when you realize just how complex his character really is. Deborah Unger also gives a quality performance as an integral person in The Game’s storyline.
The acting and the cinematography are both great, but they are secondary to the story. The Game is definitely one of those movies that is just as fun to watch a second time as it is the first… and unlike other movies, such as The Usual Suspects, all the tricks that are played hold up upon close examination. It’s actually pretty cool to watch and I am still debating whether I liked the movie more the first time or the second time.
The Game is an example of quality cinema as a product of painstaking attention to detail. I did not notice any holes in the film’s potentially Swiss cheese-like storyline, and everything that is in the movie is necessary and there for a reason. The overall result? Pure enjoyment.
Final Synopsis: The Game isn’t the best Fincher film, but it is a quality piece of work. I never really cared for the main character, and the film doesn’t really work that way as there is something rather detached about the whole experience. Still, The Game is an enjoyable flick the first and second time around. If you haven’t seen it, give it a rent… if you’re not into gimmicks, you should probably stay away.
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