Fight Club

UK Release: 12th November 1999

Watched on DVD: Thursday 6th December 2012

Rating: 18

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 2hrs 19mins

IMDb Plot Synopsis: A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.

My Review: From the first few minutes of this film I knew it was going to be special. By the 139th I knew it was now one of my favourite films of all time. Gosh, there’s something incredibly special about this film! I wasn’t even sure I was going to like it either as the impression I had of it was it was a male action film about fighting, which is fair enough, but if I, or anyone else who still believes this, had bothered to look at into it a little closer and actually watched this fantastic film I would have soon learned that there is just so much more to it than meets the eye! 

For a start it is beautiful to watch. And what’s better is the cinematography gets better in hindsight once you understand how marvellously clever it is considering the plot. Which leads me to the story itself. 

One word. Genius. My mind was blown by the end of it and, two months later, it still is. It has to be one of the most gripping films I’ve ever seen too. I mean, there’s twists here there and everywhere. There are twists that you thought were twists but aren’t and then turn out to be even bigger twists than you can even imagine. It’s so fun to look at online forums discussing this film as there really is a mountain of possibility behind it. 

The principles and philosophy this film promotes are weirdly similar to the last film I reviewed which in every other way couldn’t be more different if it tried, Eat Pray Love. It’s about freedom and breaking away from societies hierarchy and capitalism. And despite all the criminal activity that goes on throughout you still can’t help but be captivated by both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton and completely rooting for them, Norton’s character especially.  

The two of them (along with Helena Bonham-Carter) sparkle in what could have been quite a dark and desperate film. It still is that but they really draw you in and, wow, leave you in awe. The whole film left me in awe; it inspired me, intrigued me and most importantly intoxicated me. Something from which I don’t think I’ll ever recover.

Score: 9.5/10