A film review by Gio Corsi Copyright © 1999 Gio Corsi

David Fincher is a visionary. The camera is his paintbrush and he creates stylized worlds that engulf our imagination. His previous work, SEVEN and THE GAME, are favorites of film buffs everywhere and even his first film, the abysmal ALIEN³, is known for it's slick, appealing look. Well, I heard about FIGHT CLUB at the beginning of this year. David Fincher was going to do a film with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton about an underground boxing circuit and it was supposed to be a big summer release for 20th Century Fox. But due to problems and delays, it kept getting pushed back further and further into obscurity until now. One huge marketing push later and "whammo", FIGHT CLUB is in theatres and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.

FIGHT CLUB is awesome, there's no two ways about it, I was entertained throughout the entire 2 hour and 45 minute running time. Edward Norton plays an average joe suffering from insomnia, who's life is so mundane and meaningless, his only enjoyment comes from joining support groups for people with terminal illnesses. That is until he meets Tyler Durgan (Brad Pitt) a homemade soap salesman. After a night of drinking, the two get into a fist fight and find pleasure in the pain, a natural high that everyday life comes nowhere near to producing. Thus 'Fight Club' is born and for a while, life is good until it all begins to spin out of control. I would love to tell you more but the first rule of Fight Club is, "do not talk of Fight Club."

I knew that Edward Norton was a talented actor, especially after his awe-inspiring performance in AMERICAN HISTORY X (a must see film for those of you who haven't) and he is truly stellar in FIGHT CLUB. He never loses the audience, not through the entire film and he is in the entire film, from start to finish. Norton delivers a natural and haunting performance that keeps your eyes plastered to the screen. Brad Pitt does a fantastic job as the cold and off-kilter Tyler, his performance feels similar to his work on SEVEN and 12 MONKEYS and it works extremely well here. There are great supporting performances by Helena Bonhem Carter and Meat Loaf Aday but the film truly belongs to Norton and Pitt. The chemistry between these two is unbelievable.

The look of FIGHT CLUB is astounding, Director David Fincher and Director of Photography Jeff Cronenweth have created a gorgeous looking picture. The story by Jim Uhls, based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, is strong with lots of entertaining characters and interesting plot twists. The music by The Dust Brothers is awesome, so good in fact that I have to buy the soundtrack as soon as it comes out. There are funny moments, deep sadistic & violent moments and awestruck moments. I was so impressed with this film I wanted to see it again this weekend. The only other films that inspired me to see more than once on opening weekend were THE MATRIX and THE SIXTH SENSE. Now if that doesn't show you how good I think this film is, then nothing will.

	Running Time: 139 Min | Rated R | US Release: October 15th | More >>

Related Links:

• Official Site
• Edward Norton- Fight Club page
• Upcomingmovies.com: Fight Club
• Fight Club Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.