Bilbo Baggins Reviews

Of the two current films in which buttoned-down businessmen rebel against middle-class notions of masculinity, David Fincher's savage ''Fight Club'' is by far the more visionary and disturbing. Where ''American Beauty'' hinges on the subversive allure of a rose-covered blond cheerleader, Mr. Fincher has something a good deal tougher in mind. The director of ''Seven'' and ''The Game'' for the first time finds subject matter audacious enough to suit his lightning-fast visual sophistication, and puts that style to stunningly effective use. Lurid sensationalism and computer gamesmanship left this filmmaker's earlier work looking hollow and manipulative. But the sardonic, testosterone-fueled science fiction of ''Fight Club'' touches a raw nerve.

In a film as strange and single-mindedly conceived as ''Eyes Wide Shut,'' Mr. Fincher's angry, diffidently witty ideas about contemporary manhood unfold. As based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk (and deftly written by Jim Uhls), it builds a huge, phantasmagorical structure around the search for lost masculine authority, and attempts to psychoanalyze an entire society in the process. Complete with an even bigger narrative whammy than the one that ends ''The Sixth Sense,'' this film twists and turns in ways that only add up fully on the way out of the theater and might just require another viewing. Mr. Fincher uses his huge arsenal of tricks to bury little hints at what this story is really about.

''Fight Club'' has two central figures, the milquetoast narrator played by Edward Norton and his charismatic, raging crony played by Brad Pitt. The narrator has been driven to the edge of his sanity by a dull white-collar job, an empty fondness for material things (''I'd flip through catalogues and wonder what kind of dining set defined me as a person'') and the utter absence of anything to make him feel alive. Tormented by insomnia, he finds his only relief in going to meetings of 12-step support groups, where he can at least cry. The film hurtles along so smoothly that its meaningfully bizarre touches, like Meat Loaf Aday as a testicular cancer patient with very large breasts, aren't jarring at all.

The narrator finds a fellow 12-step addict in Marla, played with witchy sensuality by Helena Bonham Carter and described by the script as ''the little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tonguing it -- but you can't.'' As that suggests, Marla's grunge recklessness makes a big impression on the film's narrator, and can mostly be blamed for setting the story in motion. Soon after meeting her he is on an airplane, craving any sensation but antiseptic boredom, and he meets Mr. Pitt's Tyler Durden in the next seat. Surveying the bourgeois wimp he nicknames Ikea Boy, Tyler asks all the hard questions. Like: ''Why do guys like you and I know what a duvet is?''

Mr. Norton, drawn into Tyler's spell, soon forsakes his tidy ways and moves into the abandoned wreck that is ground central for Tyler. Then Tyler teaches his new roommate to fight in a nearby parking lot. The tacitly homoerotic bouts between these two men become addictive (as does sex with Marla), and their fight group expands into a secret society, all of which the film presents with the curious matter-of-factness of a dream. Somehow nobody gets hurt badly, but the fights leave frustrated, otherwise emasculated men with secret badges of not-quite-honor.

''Fight Club'' watches this form of escapism morph into something much more dangerous. Tyler somehow builds a bridge from the anti-materialist rhetoric of the 1960's (''It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything'') into the kind of paramilitary dream project that Ayn Rand might have admired. The group's rigorous training and subversive agenda are as deeply disturbing to Mr. Norton's mild-mannered character as Tyler's original wild streak was thrilling. But even when acts of terrorism are in the offing, he can't seem to tear himself away.

Like Kevin Smith's ''Dogma,'' ''Fight Club'' sounds offensive from afar. If watched sufficiently mindlessly, it might be mistaken for a dangerous endorsement of totalitarian tactics and super-violent nihilism in an all-out assault on society. But this is a much less gruesome film than ''Seven'' and a notably more serious one. It means to explore the lure of violence in an even more dangerously regimented, dehumanized culture. That's a hard thing to illustrate this powerfully without, so to speak, stepping on a few toes.

In an expertly shot and edited film spiked with clever computer-generated surprises, Mr. Fincher also benefits, of course, from marquee appeal. The teamwork of Mr. Norton and Mr. Pitt is as provocative and complex as it's meant to be. Mr. Norton, an ingenious actor, is once again trickier than he looks. Mr. Pitt struts through the film with rekindled brio and a visceral sense of purpose. He's right at home in a movie that warns against worshiping false idols.
nyt

The First Rule of Loser Club is:
I don't want to hear about it.

The Second Rule of Loser Club is:
Don't tell me about it.

The Third Rule of Loser Club is:
Go. **Away**!!!

And, yeah, I would rather have Swedish furniture, than...hate people with Swedish furniture.

Oh, my god, you have a coffee-table; I'm going to blow up a bank!!

You blow up a bank. This helps you...how.

I just wanted to tell these characters...grow up. Just....grow up. I hate you, so just...grow up. Far away from me.

I mean, if Brad Pitt wanted to beat the crap out of some guys, he could have at least...stolen money from them, right? At least that would have made sense, on some level.

But, you know what would have been even better than that: 'Fight Club' vs. Clint Eastwood. "If I catch you around here again, it's going to get *fucking ugly*."

Note to world: Girls who like this film are going on my ignore list; boys who like it, are probably going to jail.

It's all so pathetic.

(5/10)

David Fincher's 1999 adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel, "Fight Club" is visceral, like a punch in the the chest. It is unapologetic, gritty, subversive, and at times blatantly sexual.

And it's funny. It is a story about what happens when a movement that promises freedom becomes more constricting then confirmatory society ever was. Think 'Animal Farm' with abnormal psychology and bloody, bone-crunching fistfights.

The unnamed anti-hero of this film, Narrator (Edward Norton,) is a disturbed office worker who can't sleep at night. His insomnia presents reality as some kind of waking dream. Well, he doesn't look as bad a Christian Bale in "The Machinist," bu he's still pretty rough in appearance, and he can barely work up enough enthusiasm to go to work in the morning.

Because he works repossessing unsafe cars after fatal accidents, he gets to travel a lot, but his life remains at a virtual standstill. All this changes when he meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt,) a nihilist rebel who believes humanity should be reduced to it's most primal state.

After Narrator's apartment blows up under suspicious circumstances, he goes to live in Tyler Durden's home, which must of been a beautiful house at one time but is now repellent in it's decay and inefficiency.

Soon, Tyler and his new house-guest start a Fight Club, which temporarily releases men's feelings of inadequacy minus a few teeth, and might seem like a great idea if you're into boxing and WWE.

Add the Borderlinish, suicidal Marla Singer and the men's own twisted psyches, and you've got a recipe for disaster. The first thing that strikes me about this film is the overwhelming loneliness. Narrator is a cynic, so much so that he alienates himself and everyone around him.

"How could Tyler thing it was a bad thing that Marla Singer was about to die?" he muses when Marla swallows a bottle of Xanax and invites Tyler over for a night of lovemaking.

In my 'Favorite Characters" description of Edward Norton's character, I said this- 'like Chuck Palahniuk's character Victor Mancini, the sex addict at the center of the book and film "Choke," 'Narrator' pretends to hold the human race in contempt, but at the same time cries out in pitiful loneliness, "love me, love me, love me!!" I think us cynics can relate.' I think this is pretty accurate.

Although his character is dark-dark, I cannot help but sympathize with his urge to make things right after he finds out the truth about Tyler. This is not a film for everyone. The violence comes in droves, and no character presents themselves as noble. Furthermore, it is not really a realistic presentation of it content, and is more stylish than literal in it's subject matter.

But it makes you think while it entertains you, and I cannot really find any movie to compare it to. It is utterly original. Note- This film is a work of fiction and any decision to partake in an actual Fight Club would be utter stupidity.

This is one of those rare hollywood movies, where you cant actually predict too much as the movie evolves. It keeps you nicely hooked until the end. Ofcourse you can make predictions about how it would end , but for the most: it would be just a guess. ofcourse acting is very good.

Classic movie everyone must watch. Even if that's not you're type of movie, even if you don't think it's awesome, you'll at least like it more than an average movie. Much more. I mean this movie has everything: action, great performances, comedy, fucked up characters, soaps, and well, sex and violence...

The First Rule About Fight Club Is That You Dont Talk About Fight Club!

Sorry, Tyler, But I'm Gonna Talk About It! You Are Not Real! LOL!

Anyways, I Just Finished Watching This Movie Like 1 Hour Ago And It Was Mind-Boggling! Probably The Greatest Mnd-Fuck Movie I've Ever Seen In My Life!

I Have Always Been A Fan Of Brad Pitt And Had Seen Many Of His 2000's Movies But None Of His 90's! So When I Heard Of Se7en, I Decided To Watch It And It Was Amazing! Then I Thought That Maybe I Would Give His 90's Movies A Try, So I Did (Interview With The Vampire, Cool World, 12 Monkeys)! Then I Heard Of Fight Club And The Name Kinda Stuck! It Has This Amazing Tough Calling To It And I Downloaded It Straight Away! I Kid You Not, I Was Sitting So Edge Of My Seat, That Should There Have Been A Strong Gust Of Wind, I Would Have Fallen Down! It Also Has Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter And Meat Loaf! This Is The 4th Edward Norton Film I've Seen And The 3rd Helena Bonham Carter!

Anyways, Onto The Film! You Know, When You Get The Feeling That When You Are Either Downloading Or Buying The Movie, It May Not Be Worth It, Nomadder How Success And Popular The Movie Is?

YES! I Was Having That Feeling When I Was Downloading This Movie (Even Though Its FREE For Me, But Still)! When It Fully Downloaded, I Pressed PLAY And Sat Back And All My Doubts And Worries Were Cleared Within The First 10 Minutes Of The Movie!

Its Violent, Its Disgusting, Its Sexy And It Has A-Lot Of Blood, But Hey! Thats Hollywood... Or At Least The Action Part Of It, Anyways! I Have Never, Ever Gone 'WHAT THE FUCK?' In My Life While Watching A Film Apart From This One!

When Tyler Reveals That He Is Not Real And The Narrator Himself Is Tyler, I Was Like 'WHAT??'', Let Me See This Film All Over Again! OH MAN!

This Is A Higly Recommended Film For Movie-Goers Out There And Believe Me, This Will Not Be A Waste Of Time, Whether You Are The Sort Of Person Who Likes Dancing In A Field Of Dandelions Or To Whom Films Like SAW, Hostel Dont Give Any Chills!!! A Must-Watch!

I am, unfortunately, not one of the faithful Chuck Palahniuk readers who had read the book BEFORE they saw the movie. I, however, couldn't wait to read the book after seeing this film. I've read the book 5 times since and seen the movie more times than I can remember.

Simply put, this movie changed my life. Not just on a personal level (on which I will not comment here except to say I'm now a major Palahniuk fan) but also as a movie-watcher. I view movies differently after seeing this movie, because it broke down doors.

This movie is literally the first time I ever came upon something that, at first sight seemed incredibly stylish, sophisticated and entertaining. The plot lured you in before turning you upside down, the acting was nothing short of perfect (has there ever been a more memorable character than Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden?), the music, the screenplay (based on what is now my all-time favorite book), the lighting, the pacing, the everything! Virtually everything about this movie took my by surprise, save for one man.

David Fincher, director, was probably the only reason I went to see this movie in the first place. His work on 'Seven' and 'The Game' had me excited to see what he would do next, but I came to this movie expecting a stylish flick that offered a good plot and hopefully some good acting but what I got was so much, much more.

Honestly, how many times have you seen a movie that, with every viewing, gets even more complicated yet so simple that you can't help but laugh. Every time I watch this movie I notice something new about it, such is the depth of what is on the screen. Then there's the tiny issue of the story of Fight Club, penned by Chuck Palahniuk (who has one of the most fertile imaginations around. Don't believe me? Read 'Survivor' and weep!) the story is nothing short of incredible, a pure shock-value social commentary on the state of the world at the end of the century. You'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll do all the clichés but most importantly you'll identify with every single thing on the screen.

This movie rates as one of my all-time favorite movies and, simply put, if you haven't seen it yet then quit wasting your time OnLine and get to the nearest videostore!

Fight Club- One of the most talked-about movies of all time. Even though all of you who have seen it know the first rule about fight club is not talk about fight club. :p One time I started talking about it and my friend actually yelled at me, "The first rule about fight club is not to talk about fight club!"

That's how intense this film is. Watch it. It's artistically crafted into the perfect story- something we all can relate to. We all need to take out our anger sometimes...and in the end we find out we are all a little crazy.

Stylish movie specially brad pitt.
the movie which is intersting then wasting your time 2 think about to wwatch it or not..

awesome movie , one of my favorite movies ,