← Back to Reviews
in
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's the sentiment I felt at this film's conclusion. The ending of a film can be crucial to your enjoyment. Some can lift a film beyond were it was heading, while others can slightly sour what has come before. And then there are the extremely rare cases were the ending feels like it just takes a massive s**t on everything you have just watched and you are left so extremely p**sed off!!! This is one of those rare occasions.
I mean seriously what the f**k?! While this wasn't anything truly special, for about 100 or so minutes this was a highly enjoyable thriller, and then the ending comes and just makes a mockery of it. It is just so illogical that it left me damn near fuming. You could argue that much of the film is far-fetched and unrealistic, and that the ending fits within those parameters. But the ending really pushes it over the edge. And I did have my fears about it. Throughout I was thinking this film better have a decent ending that can reasonably tie all this together or else it may just all fall apart. And fall apart it does, spectacularly so (for me at least). I don't know if it was Fincher's idea or not, but I could easily imagine the fingerprints of some studio executive being on this, demanding an upbeat conclusion which clears everything up.
No matter how much you buy into the whole psychological testing element there is no way you can convince me that they could plan out every single detail so perfectly to the nth degree that they could not only predict that he would try to commit suicide, but that they would be able to pinpoint the exact spot of impact. And really, Michael Douglas' character goes from trying to kill himself to just seconds later laughing and hugging his brother for putting him through this? Surely he should be a gibbering wreck or absolutely livid. I mean if I had been put through all of that I would be out for bloody revenge!
I can perhaps see the reasoning behind it thematically, giving the character an emotional awakening to appreciate life by making him face his father's suicide, that he will no longer be in the shadow of it or fearing that he will do the same. But it just doesn't work at all logically. From very early on I assumed it was all going to be a game but the longer the film went and the more he was put though I started to think 'no there's no way, they can't possibly justify it.” If I ever watch this again, I think I will just switch the film off after those 100 or so solid minutes and make up my own ending. I'd be a lot happier that way. I know it's 'only a movie' and usually I have no problem with abandoning my sense of disbelief and just getting caught up in it all, but this just asked me to take a leap of faith I wasn't prepared to make.
Anyway with all of that out of the way let's move on to the positive stuff, and there actually is a good bit of it. The most impressive element of the film for me is how it creates the paranoia and fear of the situation. Like a lot of great thrillers it gets you imagining about how awful it would be if you were in that situation, and start thinking to yourself 'what would I do?' It really is a very intriguing premise and makes for an interesting psychological mystery. Fincher's direction is a big factor at creating this atmosphere, mixing a sort of Hitchcock flair with a flashy MTV generation style. And he delivers it a great pace.
Actually Michael Douglas may be the film's ace card, he is pretty great here. He's always good at playing a bit of an a**hole but this time because of what he goes through we actually root for him. He excellently captures the growing anger and confusion of the character, along with his degrading sanity. No-one else really gets enough time to make much of an impression, not on me at least. Though to be fair Deborah Kara Unger is actually quite alluring and intriguing as the femme fatale of sorts.
My score is actually pretty generous all things considered. I have given the film the benefit of the doubt and allocated the majority of its score to everything that came before that ending; only allowing the last 10 minutes to knock a small bit off the score. It's a good thing it took me a couple of days to get around to writing this though. If I had written it in the immediate aftermath you might be looking at a 1/5 rating.
Actually I think I've been too generous!
Conclusion – An intriguing premise, engrossing central performance and impressive direction are almost destroyed by an ending that defies belief. And what a shame as up till then this was good fun.
|
|
Year of release
1997
1997
Directed by
David Fincher
David Fincher
Written by
Michael Ferris
John D. Brancato
Michael Ferris
John D. Brancato
Starring
Michael Douglas
Deborah Kara Unger
Sean Penn
Michael Douglas
Deborah Kara Unger
Sean Penn
The Game
-
Plot - Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a wealthy banker and a complete loner. On his 48th birthday his wayward brother Conrad (Penn) gives him a bizarre present - a live action game that will apparently change his life. Instead of changing it however, it consumes his life and puts him in danger at every turn.
WARNING - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's the sentiment I felt at this film's conclusion. The ending of a film can be crucial to your enjoyment. Some can lift a film beyond were it was heading, while others can slightly sour what has come before. And then there are the extremely rare cases were the ending feels like it just takes a massive s**t on everything you have just watched and you are left so extremely p**sed off!!! This is one of those rare occasions.
I mean seriously what the f**k?! While this wasn't anything truly special, for about 100 or so minutes this was a highly enjoyable thriller, and then the ending comes and just makes a mockery of it. It is just so illogical that it left me damn near fuming. You could argue that much of the film is far-fetched and unrealistic, and that the ending fits within those parameters. But the ending really pushes it over the edge. And I did have my fears about it. Throughout I was thinking this film better have a decent ending that can reasonably tie all this together or else it may just all fall apart. And fall apart it does, spectacularly so (for me at least). I don't know if it was Fincher's idea or not, but I could easily imagine the fingerprints of some studio executive being on this, demanding an upbeat conclusion which clears everything up.
No matter how much you buy into the whole psychological testing element there is no way you can convince me that they could plan out every single detail so perfectly to the nth degree that they could not only predict that he would try to commit suicide, but that they would be able to pinpoint the exact spot of impact. And really, Michael Douglas' character goes from trying to kill himself to just seconds later laughing and hugging his brother for putting him through this? Surely he should be a gibbering wreck or absolutely livid. I mean if I had been put through all of that I would be out for bloody revenge!
I can perhaps see the reasoning behind it thematically, giving the character an emotional awakening to appreciate life by making him face his father's suicide, that he will no longer be in the shadow of it or fearing that he will do the same. But it just doesn't work at all logically. From very early on I assumed it was all going to be a game but the longer the film went and the more he was put though I started to think 'no there's no way, they can't possibly justify it.” If I ever watch this again, I think I will just switch the film off after those 100 or so solid minutes and make up my own ending. I'd be a lot happier that way. I know it's 'only a movie' and usually I have no problem with abandoning my sense of disbelief and just getting caught up in it all, but this just asked me to take a leap of faith I wasn't prepared to make.
Anyway with all of that out of the way let's move on to the positive stuff, and there actually is a good bit of it. The most impressive element of the film for me is how it creates the paranoia and fear of the situation. Like a lot of great thrillers it gets you imagining about how awful it would be if you were in that situation, and start thinking to yourself 'what would I do?' It really is a very intriguing premise and makes for an interesting psychological mystery. Fincher's direction is a big factor at creating this atmosphere, mixing a sort of Hitchcock flair with a flashy MTV generation style. And he delivers it a great pace.
Actually Michael Douglas may be the film's ace card, he is pretty great here. He's always good at playing a bit of an a**hole but this time because of what he goes through we actually root for him. He excellently captures the growing anger and confusion of the character, along with his degrading sanity. No-one else really gets enough time to make much of an impression, not on me at least. Though to be fair Deborah Kara Unger is actually quite alluring and intriguing as the femme fatale of sorts.
My score is actually pretty generous all things considered. I have given the film the benefit of the doubt and allocated the majority of its score to everything that came before that ending; only allowing the last 10 minutes to knock a small bit off the score. It's a good thing it took me a couple of days to get around to writing this though. If I had written it in the immediate aftermath you might be looking at a 1/5 rating.
Actually I think I've been too generous!Conclusion – An intriguing premise, engrossing central performance and impressive direction are almost destroyed by an ending that defies belief. And what a shame as up till then this was good fun.