A retro redo redux review thingie
Fight Club (20th Century Fox, R)
Starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton
Hmmm, this is sort of an odd position for a movie reviewer, especially one that doesn't really consider one self a "movie critic." So I guess it makes it much easier to admit that I WAS WRONG ABOUT FIGHT CLUB. Phew! It feels so good to get that out in the open. Here is the story, try not to cry:
When I first saw "Fight Club," it was in the theater, of course, and with my friend Sara who has a passionate interest in Bradley Pitt but now is interested in Edward Norton. So easily swayed. In any event, my immediate reaction was one of confusion. There were many things that I liked about the movie, but the glaring anomalies suck out and put a bad taste in my mouth, generating the low star rating for the paper. Well, as a few people have pointed out, I am a complete loser for thinking like this.
So it was in hesitance and anxiousness that I sat down with a few friends and watched that crazy little movie again. And...I have changed.
Maybe my perspective is different, but more likely, I was able to see the movie in its entirety knowing "The Big Secret," making the second viewing much more enjoyable and showing that "Fight Club" is much better than originally thought.
The thought and care in piecing "The Big Secret" together caused me to laugh in my previous ignorance to clues. It could be said that the reason I gave the low rating was that I was mad that I could not guess "The Big Secret." That would be wrong, though, but not far from the truth. I once thought that the movie would have been better off in conventional narrative form, without any "The Big Secret." Now, it adds much more than initial confusion.
The actors still perform greatly, but the plot makes more sense, and that can do wonders for perception of actors.
That doesn't mean I like everything about it. I still think the ending leaves a lot to be desired, and the scene where Norton absolutely pummels Jared Leto, although cheered by me for violence against Leto, is just horrific for me to watch. The updated rating is three stars, and I think that is final. Then again, they came out with that neato DVD package for me to see it a third time...
This is a Web site EXCLUSIVE. Proceed to pee your pants.
My home, sweet home page
The Northern Star Home Page
The Internet Movie Database
What other critics think - The Rotten Tomatoes Site