The Game
Starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Unger.
Written by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris.
Directed by David Fincher.
Genre: Thriller
Released: 1997
Running time: 128 mins.
Rated: R (American rating for language and some violence and sexual themes)
IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/
Many years ago, my dad and I set to off to see Speed 2. Neither of us
was really holding out hope that itd be any good, but we had liked the
first one, and there didnt seem to be anything else on, so we decided
wed give it a shot.
When we arrived at the cinema, however, we
quickly realized that wed gotten the times wrong; the screenings wed
looked up were the weekday times, and we were there on the weekend.
With nothing else to do, and with a long way to go back home, we
figured wed roll the dice and go see a movie neither one of us had
heard much about: The Game. I was only fourteen at the time, and only
starting to get over my whole thing of all my favourite films being
cheesy summer blockbusters, so while I had seen Seven, I had no idea
who David Fincher was, much less what his previous directorial efforts
were.
What followed was an afternoon where our minds were
blown, our tensions were raised and our willingness to take chances
with our movie-going dollar was paid off. When the final credits began
to roll (with White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane playing; a music
selection that always struck me as being really cool) my dad and I
shuffled out of the cinema not knowing what wed just seen, but knowing
that wed loved it. Thank God we didnt see Speed 2.
The Game is,
to use a fairly tired comparison, much like a Hitchcock thriller. It
tells the tale of an incredibly rich businessman by the name of
Nicholas Van Orton (as played by Michael Douglas) whose life is empty
of anything but the pursuit of money. On his 48th birthday the same age
his at which his father committed suicid Nicholas receives a mysterious
gift from his wayward brother (Sean Penn) with the promise that it will
make [his] life fun.
What follows is a maddening experience for
Nicholas, as he tries to unravel the mystery of the gift and the
company that provided it Consumer Recreation Services. What starts off
as a benign real-life role-playing game soon takes a deadly turn, and
Nicholas is left completely uncertain as to what is reality and what is
the game.
Much like the majority of films Ive commented on in
this column, to explain anymore of the plot would be to ruining the
experience of the movie. Be certain, though: Its a good film. The
strange thing is, however, the number of times the plot gets lost
between director David Finchers other films: Seven, Fight Club, Panic
Room, etc.
The Game deserves as much attention as these films
receive. Sure, its not as violent as the others, nor as in-your-face,
but it is a masterful thriller with some very pertinent themes and a
slick visual style. Check it out.
Next week: I dont know. I feel in the mood for something animated.
Starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Unger.
Written by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris.
Directed by David Fincher.
Genre: Thriller
Released: 1997
Running time: 128 mins.
Rated: R (American rating for language and some violence and sexual themes)
IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0119174/
Many years ago, my dad and I set to off to see Speed 2. Neither of us
was really holding out hope that itd be any good, but we had liked the
first one, and there didnt seem to be anything else on, so we decided
wed give it a shot.
When we arrived at the cinema, however, we
quickly realized that wed gotten the times wrong; the screenings wed
looked up were the weekday times, and we were there on the weekend.
With nothing else to do, and with a long way to go back home, we
figured wed roll the dice and go see a movie neither one of us had
heard much about: The Game. I was only fourteen at the time, and only
starting to get over my whole thing of all my favourite films being
cheesy summer blockbusters, so while I had seen Seven, I had no idea
who David Fincher was, much less what his previous directorial efforts
were.
What followed was an afternoon where our minds were
blown, our tensions were raised and our willingness to take chances
with our movie-going dollar was paid off. When the final credits began
to roll (with White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane playing; a music
selection that always struck me as being really cool) my dad and I
shuffled out of the cinema not knowing what wed just seen, but knowing
that wed loved it. Thank God we didnt see Speed 2.
The Game is,
to use a fairly tired comparison, much like a Hitchcock thriller. It
tells the tale of an incredibly rich businessman by the name of
Nicholas Van Orton (as played by Michael Douglas) whose life is empty
of anything but the pursuit of money. On his 48th birthday the same age
his at which his father committed suicid Nicholas receives a mysterious
gift from his wayward brother (Sean Penn) with the promise that it will
make [his] life fun.
What follows is a maddening experience for
Nicholas, as he tries to unravel the mystery of the gift and the
company that provided it Consumer Recreation Services. What starts off
as a benign real-life role-playing game soon takes a deadly turn, and
Nicholas is left completely uncertain as to what is reality and what is
the game.
Much like the majority of films Ive commented on in
this column, to explain anymore of the plot would be to ruining the
experience of the movie. Be certain, though: Its a good film. The
strange thing is, however, the number of times the plot gets lost
between director David Finchers other films: Seven, Fight Club, Panic
Room, etc.
The Game deserves as much attention as these films
receive. Sure, its not as violent as the others, nor as in-your-face,
but it is a masterful thriller with some very pertinent themes and a
slick visual style. Check it out.
Next week: I dont know. I feel in the mood for something animated.
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