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MICHAEL DOUGLAS PLAYS IT QUIRKY IN THE GAME
By Ellen Futterman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

YOU get a gift you're told will change your life without a clue as to how, when, where or why. The only thing you're told is what it is: The gift is a game.

That's the premise behind "The Game," a glossy thriller that works well for a while before succumbing to overdrive. It was directed by David Fincher, whose "Seven" is a darker and more powerful film, but who once again demonstrates a flair for stylish suspense.

The player in "The Game" is Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a cold-hearted, tightly wound millionaire investment banker who lives a rather austere existence despite his wealth. His days are spent toiling at the office - he thinks nothing of canning a longtime employee (Armin Mueller-Stahl) when profits are down. Nights are spent alone in front of the TV at his mansion, which is tended to by a maid (Carroll Baker, for real).

For his 48th birthday, the same birthday on which his father leaped to his death as Nicholas watched, Nicholas is given a present by his carefree younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn) - a gift certificate for a game from an outfit called Consumer Recreation Services. Call, Conrad implores. It will make your life fun.

Fun isn't a big commodity to Nicholas, but CRS intrigues him, especially after he overhears a couple of guys talking about it. He finally contacts the mysterious company, and soon finds himself undergoing a series of psychological and physical tests to help decide his tailor-made game. The only thing he's told is that keys will appear and it's up to him to figure out what they unlock.

Then he finds out he's been rejected for the game. Annoyed, he retreats to his home, where it quickly becomes clear that something strange is going on. Has the game begun? It doesn't take Nicholas long to realize what ever is happening, it wasn't engineered by Milton-Bradley.

At this point we should tell you that in order to watch "The Game," you must suspend all notion of reality. No one is to be trusted. People can be locked in a submerged taxi and manage to live. Oh, and it helps to remember that money is no object - so what if the cost of this game equals the operating budget of say, Italy.

With that in mind, "The Game" is somewhat entertaining, at least for the first half. It's fun to watch Van Orton, well-groomed, control freak that he is, become unhinged as the mind-benders and danger escalate. The character is nothing new to Douglas - think "Fatal Attraction" meets "Wall Street" meets "Disclosure" - but he is particularly effective here as Nicholas, stripped of power and privilege.

Fincher steadily builds the momentum, keeping the focus dark and edgy. But in terms of going the distance, the screenplay by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (the team who wrote "The Net"), grows tedious as the plot twists get more absurd. None of the relationships is well developed, least of all the brothers. In fact, Penn's part is very small. His only real scene is one in which he blows up at Nicholas as the game becomes more creepy and convoluted.

"The Game" isn't without its shortcomings but in the end it helps to remember it's only a game.

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