There are some directors that have managed to do a lot of different genre films, and have proved themselves to be very professional. Some directors have the balls to actually try on so many different stories, you can tell that they are not afraid to take on a challenge. And one of the directors i am thinking about, is of course legendary director David Fincher. When you look back at the films he have made so far, you are amazed how many of the films deliver such high level of film quality. Some might say that his directorial debut Alien 3 is shit, i would say that it is at least ok. But he really stepped it up with the 1995 thriller Seven. This is without a doubt one of the best serial killer films in movie history, and the performances from Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow are all excellent. One of the things that made Seven such an amazing thriller, was the brutality portrayed with the murders. The details you see, was something very different from other serial killer films in the past. Director David Fincher digged much deeper on a psychological level, and made sure to make a very unusual thriller than before. Seven is a must see, especially on blu ray. Director David Fincher have directed a lot of great films over the years, and he clearly seems to be going for quality films. Just think about his films Panic Room, Fight Club, Zodiac ( this one is damn good, especially the extended version on blu ray ) and The Social Network. There are of course a number of films we could mention more than there, but let´s focus on one particular film from the year of 1997. This was the year when director David Fincher made his third film The Game, with legendary actor Michael Douglas. The film turned out to be a very intelligent thriller, and very different from anything released that year. I remember how much i enjoyed the film back then, and since 20 years have passed since the film was released this year, i thought i should see it again to see if the film still holds up today. After so many years, does The Game still manage to capture the audience, or have the film grown older with these years and feel less interesting ?
Nicholas Van Orten ( Michael Douglas ) is a wealthy investment banker, living alone in a mansion. He is a hard worker and is very dedicated to his job. One day, Nicholas meets up with his younger brother Conrad van Orton ( Sean Penn ) at a restaurant. It turns out that Conrad have a birthday present for Nicholas, a gift card from the company CRS. At first, Nicholas is not sure if this is just a joke, but Conrad highly recommends that Nicholas give this a try. This is a game, where anything can happen. Nicholas decide to wait for a moment, before he decides to look this game up. Until one day, when he happen to be in the same building as CRS, and sign their papers. What Nicholas does not know, is that this is no ordinary game. This is a game that will change his life completely.
To go from the magnificant thriller Seven, to a completely different kind of thriller with The Game, is without a doubt a very difficult challenge. Even if The Game is not as good as Seven, i still consider The Game to be one of the better films from director David Fincher. Why ? Because this film does have an original plot, and some very interesting twists and turns along the way. You also get a really strong performance from actor Michael Douglas, who gives his character a strong personality. Perhaps that is also why i enjoy The Game so much, since it is not very often you get a main character, as you get in this film. Just when you get to know that this is supposed to be a game, things become very interesting. Are there any rules ? Are there any limits ? How do you know what path you should choose ? There are a number of questions you will ask yourself while watching this film, and this shows that there is a intelligent story here. You can´t really figure out anything from the beginning of the game, you have to guess what will happen next. Since the 90´s had some really good quality films, it is so nice to return to The Game now 20 years later, and discover that this film is just as good, as it was when i was 20 years old. We have to talk about the cast. Sean Penn is here for a few scenes, and of course you know he can deliver. I would have liked to see more of him, but the scenes he is included works. Actor James Rebhorn does a fine performance as the CRS informer Jim Feingold, and i also enjoy seeing legendary actor Pete Donat here as Samuel Sutherland. You will probably recognize some other actors as well during the film. but the most interesting thing about this film, is how professional director David Fincher have constructed this story. We have seen directors try and make films based on some kind of game, but maybe this film is perhaps one of the few that actually manage to pull that off on the right track. The Game is in my mind one of the better thrillers of the 90´s, and still deliver on a very high quality level, both from an acting perspective, and from a film making perspective. Michael Douglas proved himself again with this film, showing why he is one of the greatest Hollywood legends. Make sure to get the blu ray, and i promise you, The Game will get you hooked up, just like this film did 20 years ago. One thing is for sure, if anyone gives me a birthday card with a phone number, i will be running out the door.....
Rating: DDDD
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar