Anthony's Film Review - Fight Club (1999)

This dark satirical story takes some rather interesting turns...

In order for me to review Fight Club, I have to break the first rule of Fight Club, which says I'm not supposed to talk about it. In this movie, centering on two men forming an underground club to physically release aggression through brutal fights, this first rule is made to keep the club a secret. You can sort of apply it to a review of the movie. In other words, you should enjoy Fight Club without knowing much about its premise. In fact, it might be better to watch it that way.

But if you're still curious, I can tell you what I thought. Fight Club, based on a novel by Chuck Palaniuk, is one of those movies where you think the initial premise is all there is. You assume that the plot and characters that are established in the first twenty minutes stay unchanged until the end. Well, guess what? You will find that, in the second half, there are surprises. The plot evolves into a different subject and there is an unexpected revelation about the two main characters that will really surprise you.

Edward Norton plays the first main character who has no name. He is credited simply as the "Narrator." There is a purpose for this. The character is a burned out office worker whose life is dull even when he comes home. Basically, he's nameless because he's like so many of us. A lot of contemporary stories do this, by the way.

One day, he meets an interesting stranger: Brad Pitt as a soap salesman named Tyler Durden. They strike an interesting friendship, probably as the narrator is in real need of some excitement in his life. Also, Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer joins the cast as the sole female of the cast. Like the narrator, she looks like a person who is missing something in life. All three find shelter together in an abandoned run-down house.

Eventually, the narrator and his new friend Tyler form a secret group called Fight Club where, like I said, men get together to beat each other up to vent their anger. Several scenes of bloody fights appear for a while. Then it becomes clear what Fight Club is really about. That's when you know there's more to come. And I will leave it at that. Discover the movie for yourself and be amazed by where it takes you. I will say no more about Fight Club, because I don't want to get beaten up for it.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Fight Club, visit the Internet Movie Database.