The film begins by chug chug chugging along in slowwwwwww motion. I was wondering if the story would ever pick up and get interesting. Finally, about twenty minutes in, the film transforms into an intriguing mind-bending thriller. Michael Douglas gives a convincing performance as a wealthy business man who doesn’t have much of a life outside of work… that is until his brother, played by Sean Penn, convinces him to participate in a game from a mysterious company.
When Michael Douglas' character questions people who have played the game he gets responses eerily similar to these: What's this game? It's amazing. So what happens in it? Great things. It'll change your life. What do you mean? You'll love it. I wish I could do it all over again for the first time. I envy you. Okay buddy, you're kinda sounding like a weirdo, but I'm intrigued...
As the game gets more and more complicated, the film gets more and more entertaining. Michael Douglas' character loses sight of who to trust and doesn't know whether the game is a game or just some elaborate scheme to get a hold of his millions of dollars stashed away in Sweden.
Every time I thought I figured something out or witnessed a truth, the story would take a sharp turn in another direction. The Game will keep you guessing... and guessing... and guessing until the credits roll. Not to mention, it also has one of the most epically confusing and brilliant endings I've ever seen in a movie. Trust me. You will be stunned and then stunned into dumbfoundment. It's one of those, did they really just do that moments and honestly, I think it worked. As ridiculous of an ending as it was, it was so out there that the filmmakers managed to pull it off. Did I mention the ending is a little over the top?... Oh, I did. Good.
I also loved the way the film felt like a throwback to Alfred Hitchcock thrillers of the past. David Fincher doesn’t get overly dark like he has in his other films. The Game has a healthy dose of darkness sprinkled with mind perplexers galore instead of bloodiness and violence extreme. If this were an older film, I could easily picture Jimmy Stewart playing the lead role. Simply put, it's a classic suspense thriller made in the late nineties.
The Breakdown: Watch this overlooked David Fincher gem! If you’re a Hitchcok fan and dig movies that keep you guessing from scene to scene, then this is the motion picture to watch. Slow out of the gate, but hang in there and you will be thrilled. Especially, with the over the top ending. You’ll never see it coming!
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