After a short(ish) hiatus of exactly a month (since my last film review), I review my first David Fincher directed movie: The Game and what a movie!
Intense and insanely intriguing.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
- (P) Positives
- (N) Negatives
- (?) Other points/Neither positive or negative
- (P) Densely and tightly plotted; slow burn to start, but rapidly picks up and doesn't stop.
- (P) Great acting across the board (with a handful of over-acted moments here and there e.g. Michael Douglas smashing his briefcase over a lawn chair was verging on laugh-out-loud material for me (Although, conversely, Douglas was the standout performance in the film - providing a range of emotion befitting of the evolution of a cold, emotionless businessman into a more considerate, kinder person after his experience in the Game taught him to not shut himself off emotionally like his father before him. In addition, Penn's breakdown performance comes a very close (and explosive) second)).
- (P) Expertly done cinematography with fluid camera movements and positioning
- (P) Sheer variety of color and lighting, providing mood to scenes e.g. the dingy bar with its auburn and burgundy wood paneling, and the harsh lighting giving the actors darkly-shadowed/hooded eyes
- (P) Clever and subtle use of changing aspect ratio to transition from the old format film footage of Douglas' early years into the modern day
- (?) The ending, while very satisfying, was almost a bit too happy/perfect
- (N) Music, while good, seemed a bit overused or at least, didn't have enough variety i.e. the piano track that was used repeatedly
Overall: A few issues here and there do little to dissuade The Game from being a finely plotted and crafted film, with outstanding performances, fluid cinematography and a typical Fincher-esque attention to detail (even if you do need to significantly suspend your disbelief for the sake of a compelling story).
9/10
9/10
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