Day 35: Fight Club (1999)

Movie #15 – Fight Club (1999) - 139 min, cert 18.

Edward Norton plays a beaten down office worker with no family and no aspirations, drifting aimlessly through his life. After his apartment is blown up as the result of a gas leak, he moves in with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), and together they start an underground club where men like themselves can go and take out there pent-up aggression on each other. Durden has bigger plans than this for their Fight Club, however, and Norton’s character (who is never named, curiously) soon finds himself out of his depth as the activities of Durden and the other members descend further and further into anarchy.

This is another great film, and if you haven’t seen it, I strongly encourage you to do so, although you do need to be fairly strong of stomach in one or two places. I love a film with a really good twist towards the end, the sort that makes you completely reevaluate the entirety of the film up to that point. This movie has one of the best examples of that I’ve ever come across. If you don’t know the twist, I strongly advise you not to try to find out what it is before seeing the movie, because once you know it, you will never be able to view the film in the same way again.

The cast is very strong. Norton is great in an understated way. The scene in his boss’ office after being given his first homework assignment from the club is particularly memorable. Pitt moves effortlessly through the film is his own inimitable way. I’ve seen a few bad Brad Pitt movies, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad performance from him, and this is one of his best. There are also great turns from Helena Bonham-Carter, who seemed to relish getting away from the period dramas she so often finds herself in, and Meat Loaf, in a rare non-musical role.

I’m going to give it 10/10 as I think it definitely deserves a place in my top ten, and I shall put it at number 3 on my list.

1.       The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

2.       Pulp Fiction (1994)

3.       Fight Club (1999)

4.       The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

5.       Schindler’s List (1993)

6.       Inception (2010)

7.       Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

8.      The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

9.       12 Angry Men (1957)

10.   The Godfather (1972)

Next up is Goodfellas. I think I’ve seen this a couple of times, but it’s been a good few years since the last time. I can remember a few key scenes and the basic plot, but I remember it being good, so I think I shall enjoy it.