All star casting and performances, creative and suspenseful writing, excellent directing, and spot on cinematography and score. A little far fetched you say? Maybe not if you're RICH rich. Either way, that's the point, and why it was so fun! Maybe one day we'll see a Part 2. A well deserved 9/10 from me.
843 Reviews
Glad he's not my Brother
mjw23057 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
What an amazing thriller, it's totally original, i've never seen anything like it before. The casting of Michael Douglas and Sean Penn was inspired and the story is compelling to say the least.
Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) receives a strange birthday gift from his brother Conrad (Penn) A game, that's the gift, a game that plunges him into a living nightmare; a conspiracy (or so it appears) Life or death, true or false; The Game poses many questions and is steeped in mystery and tension from the moment it begins.
All the questions do get answered by the end, and the surprise ending caps off this thriller excellently.
Terrific entertainment 8/10
Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) receives a strange birthday gift from his brother Conrad (Penn) A game, that's the gift, a game that plunges him into a living nightmare; a conspiracy (or so it appears) Life or death, true or false; The Game poses many questions and is steeped in mystery and tension from the moment it begins.
All the questions do get answered by the end, and the surprise ending caps off this thriller excellently.
Terrific entertainment 8/10
An intelligent tale from start to finish.
The Record Guy5 March 2001
Let me just tell you that, as a middle aged film buff, I have seen my share of flicks, good and bad. Very few rate as high as "The Game" in entertainment value. "The Game" is most definitely one of the "most fun" movies to hit the silver screen in a long time. Filled with plot twists and turns, this film takes the movie-goer on a psychological roller coaster ride from the tile screens to the final credit roll.
"The Game" is truly an intelligent tale, sort of a brain teaser that you get to watch and listen to, with a time limit. You have just 128 minutes to solve this, and chances are, like me, you'll be hanging on the solution to this puzzle until the very end.
The script was well written by a writer who clearly understands the needs of an adult audience. Yes, we like our fun but we like to exercise our brains once in a while also. And let there be no mistake about the great performances offered here by Michael Douglas and his co-stars. I was engrossed by all and couldn't take my eyes of the screen.
There is plenty for everybody here. Fun for all. A big winner in my book and definitely on my list of all time favorites. Get it and enjoy the ride!
"The Game" is truly an intelligent tale, sort of a brain teaser that you get to watch and listen to, with a time limit. You have just 128 minutes to solve this, and chances are, like me, you'll be hanging on the solution to this puzzle until the very end.
The script was well written by a writer who clearly understands the needs of an adult audience. Yes, we like our fun but we like to exercise our brains once in a while also. And let there be no mistake about the great performances offered here by Michael Douglas and his co-stars. I was engrossed by all and couldn't take my eyes of the screen.
There is plenty for everybody here. Fun for all. A big winner in my book and definitely on my list of all time favorites. Get it and enjoy the ride!
Michael Douglas at his very best
scoobydoo2000ms25 April 2000
"The Game" took me on one psychological thrill ride after another loaded with twists and turns scene after scene.
Michael Douglas pulled off his best performance as Nicholas Van Orton a man who is approaching his birthday. Upon which he receives an invitation to play a game given to him by his brother Conrad played by Sean Penn. Nicholas reluctantly agrees and soon finds out that the game is more than he bargained for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film because I never knew who was trustworthy or what was going to happen next, this truly was one film that must be seen by those who enjoy never knowing for sure how a movie will turn out.
"The Game" is all Michael Douglas and how well he pulls off his role of being the innocent who happens to be in the middle of a game he can't control. However, a really good movie can not be pulled off by one actor, a whole lot of credit should go to Sean Penn and Deborah Kara Unger for their convincing portrayals in this film.
Michael Douglas pulled off his best performance as Nicholas Van Orton a man who is approaching his birthday. Upon which he receives an invitation to play a game given to him by his brother Conrad played by Sean Penn. Nicholas reluctantly agrees and soon finds out that the game is more than he bargained for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film because I never knew who was trustworthy or what was going to happen next, this truly was one film that must be seen by those who enjoy never knowing for sure how a movie will turn out.
"The Game" is all Michael Douglas and how well he pulls off his role of being the innocent who happens to be in the middle of a game he can't control. However, a really good movie can not be pulled off by one actor, a whole lot of credit should go to Sean Penn and Deborah Kara Unger for their convincing portrayals in this film.
A Classic Thriller
Lucabrasisleeps12 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I have to say I didn't expect this. I didn't have great expectations when I saw this. Especially considering the cold reception given to it by critics and audiences alike. But it is one of the most original Hollywood thrillers ever.
The story is about an investment banker named Nicholas Van Orton(Michael Douglas in one of his best roles) who is greedy and self centred and who lives alone in his huge mansion. His brother(Sean Penn) gives him a card telling him to contact the company and it is his birthday present to him. What follows is absolute edge of the seat stuff and it shows David fincher at a time when he made some of the finest movies ever seen in Hollywood. In the midst of all this, he meets a waitress named Christine. Revealing more might spoil the movie for you as it is a fun roller-coaster ride with many twists and turns.
What impressed me about this movie was the atmosphere throughout the movie. It is classic David fincher with the dark tone and great background music. The camera work is excellent especially in the scene where his father falls down to his death. These scenes also show another side to Nicholas van orton and indicate why he became the way he is. He starts out as a one dimensional guy but then when faced with crisis he shows so many sides. I feel the game is more a character study because it shows the myriad changes in his behaviour throughout the movie. Rather than depending on gimmicky twists and quick editing(which is the popular way of making movies today), The Game depends solely on atmosphere and the strength of its performances. Deborah Kara Unger gives a great performance as a character with shades of grey. She is the perfect person for this character with her mysterious look. Sean penn as usual gives a great performance but unfortunately he doesn't have much screen time.
Another aspect of the movie is the dark humor. Michael Douglas gives certain comments with a deadpan delivery that makes it even more humorous. In many ways the Game can be described as a satire on society and how people forget the most important things in life when pursuing success. It is interesting how facing a crisis brings out the most basic emotions in people and how it changes people is the basic theme of this movie. We experience the same emotions as Nicholas and thus it becomes a ride where we don't know the truth till the last moment.
I had tears in my eyes at the end and the credit should go to the direction and the music. The slow motion sequence at the end is also well done and this has got to be one of the best endings of all time.
10/10
The story is about an investment banker named Nicholas Van Orton(Michael Douglas in one of his best roles) who is greedy and self centred and who lives alone in his huge mansion. His brother(Sean Penn) gives him a card telling him to contact the company and it is his birthday present to him. What follows is absolute edge of the seat stuff and it shows David fincher at a time when he made some of the finest movies ever seen in Hollywood. In the midst of all this, he meets a waitress named Christine. Revealing more might spoil the movie for you as it is a fun roller-coaster ride with many twists and turns.
What impressed me about this movie was the atmosphere throughout the movie. It is classic David fincher with the dark tone and great background music. The camera work is excellent especially in the scene where his father falls down to his death. These scenes also show another side to Nicholas van orton and indicate why he became the way he is. He starts out as a one dimensional guy but then when faced with crisis he shows so many sides. I feel the game is more a character study because it shows the myriad changes in his behaviour throughout the movie. Rather than depending on gimmicky twists and quick editing(which is the popular way of making movies today), The Game depends solely on atmosphere and the strength of its performances. Deborah Kara Unger gives a great performance as a character with shades of grey. She is the perfect person for this character with her mysterious look. Sean penn as usual gives a great performance but unfortunately he doesn't have much screen time.
Another aspect of the movie is the dark humor. Michael Douglas gives certain comments with a deadpan delivery that makes it even more humorous. In many ways the Game can be described as a satire on society and how people forget the most important things in life when pursuing success. It is interesting how facing a crisis brings out the most basic emotions in people and how it changes people is the basic theme of this movie. We experience the same emotions as Nicholas and thus it becomes a ride where we don't know the truth till the last moment.
I had tears in my eyes at the end and the credit should go to the direction and the music. The slow motion sequence at the end is also well done and this has got to be one of the best endings of all time.
10/10
A brilliantly executed mind-trick
Criticalstaff19 December 2020
I have always loved the Game. It sits right between The Truman Show and The Matrix as these 90's weird deconstructions of reality and sci-fi with a hint of social commentary on media. It was really the decade where TV and movies discovered the awesome power these new images had, and trying to reconcile their own moral hazard (spoiler alert: they did not). In The Game, Michael Douglas' character has basically a feature film inserted in his life. With a rewatch there are some little details that stand out and you realize easily none of this would work for real. But it works for the audience and as such it works as a movie.
I love this movie because it is a great mind-bending trick. The movie keeps the tension up throughout by jumping around whether the Game is real or not. Even in the third act, where there is maybe one switcheroo too many; you get that escalating tension that keeps you engaged.
Structurally the movie may not be the most elegant. This tension escalates not really by anyone's actions but by design. But it is competent enough to let the talent shine. Michael Douglas gives an excellent performance and it's just a joy to watch. He basically plays Gordon Gekko again, with the self-important attitude but also the effortless charm. There is something to 90s Douglas that is frankly mesmerizing, because he offer such a large palette of characters. He can play the everyman gumshoe or the stonyhearted investment banker. And in the Game you can see that kind of transformation on-screen. You can see the veneer of civilization peel off and you're left with the unkempt hair Douglas: the most dangerous variant.
Returning to the escalation of tension, it works that way also because the plot destroys Nicholas Van Orton's life in an escalating fashion. First he loses on his business deal, then his money/fortune, then his brother. Which culminates at the end of the movie: he is a broken man, which leads him to suicide. On the surface, the movie is very "nineties ennui" where it throws a business exec in suit and a briefcase in an action movie. The movie's internal logic is built around the fact that his life is very lame and predictable and he gets propelled into these action-movie set piece tropes. But underneath there is a more subtle message critical of the greed and the excess of the 80s. It is a repudiation of Gordon Gekko. It metaphorically kills Gordon Gekko, it throws him off the roof. And I believe the film's morals want to state that life's meaning lies elsewhere than monetary accumulation and wealth.
That is not to say that the movie is leading the masses to the barricades. It is first and foremost an action film, and as such a corporate product, yet it enjoys having a faceless corporation as "the villain". But it is similar to Fight Club in that regard; it enjoys the subversive sub-text, without giving it too much credence. Nonetheless, it focuses way more on the mechanics of the plot: who is going where and why, rather than on the thematic elements. And for the most part it holds up as an action movie. And even if makes (forgettable) mistakes, you'll still want to rewatch it to see how well The Game was set-up, and what worked and what did not.
I love this movie because it is a great mind-bending trick. The movie keeps the tension up throughout by jumping around whether the Game is real or not. Even in the third act, where there is maybe one switcheroo too many; you get that escalating tension that keeps you engaged.
Structurally the movie may not be the most elegant. This tension escalates not really by anyone's actions but by design. But it is competent enough to let the talent shine. Michael Douglas gives an excellent performance and it's just a joy to watch. He basically plays Gordon Gekko again, with the self-important attitude but also the effortless charm. There is something to 90s Douglas that is frankly mesmerizing, because he offer such a large palette of characters. He can play the everyman gumshoe or the stonyhearted investment banker. And in the Game you can see that kind of transformation on-screen. You can see the veneer of civilization peel off and you're left with the unkempt hair Douglas: the most dangerous variant.
Returning to the escalation of tension, it works that way also because the plot destroys Nicholas Van Orton's life in an escalating fashion. First he loses on his business deal, then his money/fortune, then his brother. Which culminates at the end of the movie: he is a broken man, which leads him to suicide. On the surface, the movie is very "nineties ennui" where it throws a business exec in suit and a briefcase in an action movie. The movie's internal logic is built around the fact that his life is very lame and predictable and he gets propelled into these action-movie set piece tropes. But underneath there is a more subtle message critical of the greed and the excess of the 80s. It is a repudiation of Gordon Gekko. It metaphorically kills Gordon Gekko, it throws him off the roof. And I believe the film's morals want to state that life's meaning lies elsewhere than monetary accumulation and wealth.
That is not to say that the movie is leading the masses to the barricades. It is first and foremost an action film, and as such a corporate product, yet it enjoys having a faceless corporation as "the villain". But it is similar to Fight Club in that regard; it enjoys the subversive sub-text, without giving it too much credence. Nonetheless, it focuses way more on the mechanics of the plot: who is going where and why, rather than on the thematic elements. And for the most part it holds up as an action movie. And even if makes (forgettable) mistakes, you'll still want to rewatch it to see how well The Game was set-up, and what worked and what did not.
Worth Watching - But Only Once
Theo Robertson5 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
THE GAME is the type of movie that was very popular at the turn of the century - One that has a great twist in the tail . Unfortunately when the great twist is revealed the film comes crashing down . The producers may claim that that THE GAME is more of a journey than a destination whereby the audience are transported somewhere but the more you think about the plot at the end of the line the more the audience will complain that the journey was a little too contrived to be worth going back on the same route
!!!! SPOILERS !!!! The premise involves " what do you get for the man who has everything " , Nicholas Van Orton has everything we wants in a material world but it's come at a price where he's a lonely middle aged man and you're instantly reminded of Michael Douglas Oscar winning role in WALL STREET as Gordon Gekko . His brother Conrad buys him a birthday gift from Consumer Recreation Services and then all sorts of strange and dangerous things start happening
The problem with the scenario is that when the ending is revealed your suspension of disbelief may not have been suspended enough . The comments pages for this film is full of people pointing out things like " What if Nicholas got mugged in Mexico, or if he jumped off a different part of the building or if he did or didn't contact such and such a person ? he wouldn't have arrived at the ending " and they're right . In fact if you stop to think about it it also means that every single previous customer who used CRS must had a successful time other wise the customer would have sued the company in a multi million pound court case . Are you trying to say all that excitement wouldn't have caused a previous customer to have a heart attack or be seriously injured , perhaps even killed ? Why do you think no one in real life has come up with something like CRS in real life ? That's because of the real life possibility of litigation
I do confess that I'm taking things a little too serious and people will point out that it's only a film and they're right . For most of the running time I found THE GAME rather compelling entertainment similar to TOTAL RECALL without the high body count and sci-fi elements and though everything disintegrates with the revelation I do recommend THE GAME as entertainment mixed in with a redemption plot
!!!! SPOILERS !!!! The premise involves " what do you get for the man who has everything " , Nicholas Van Orton has everything we wants in a material world but it's come at a price where he's a lonely middle aged man and you're instantly reminded of Michael Douglas Oscar winning role in WALL STREET as Gordon Gekko . His brother Conrad buys him a birthday gift from Consumer Recreation Services and then all sorts of strange and dangerous things start happening
The problem with the scenario is that when the ending is revealed your suspension of disbelief may not have been suspended enough . The comments pages for this film is full of people pointing out things like " What if Nicholas got mugged in Mexico, or if he jumped off a different part of the building or if he did or didn't contact such and such a person ? he wouldn't have arrived at the ending " and they're right . In fact if you stop to think about it it also means that every single previous customer who used CRS must had a successful time other wise the customer would have sued the company in a multi million pound court case . Are you trying to say all that excitement wouldn't have caused a previous customer to have a heart attack or be seriously injured , perhaps even killed ? Why do you think no one in real life has come up with something like CRS in real life ? That's because of the real life possibility of litigation
I do confess that I'm taking things a little too serious and people will point out that it's only a film and they're right . For most of the running time I found THE GAME rather compelling entertainment similar to TOTAL RECALL without the high body count and sci-fi elements and though everything disintegrates with the revelation I do recommend THE GAME as entertainment mixed in with a redemption plot
A classic thriller that is aging well
vithiet30 December 2018
Impressive movie
geiri5 February 1999
Warning: Spoilers
Nicholas Van Orton, a successful businessman lives a good life until an unexpected birthday gift from his brother destroys it all. Nicholas has been enrolled in a game - "a profound life experience" that begins quietly but soon erupts in a rush of devastating events. Van Orton has to win this deadly game or lose control of everything in his life. And this time money and power are meaningless. This is a suspense/thriller, that does manage to hold one's attention. The film stars Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Deborah Kara Unger (David Cronenberg's "Crash") turns in a fine supporting roll as well. Davd Fincher, director of Seven and Aliens 3, continues to set high standards for motion picture making. This lastest entree of Fincher's does not lose a beat in delivering the maximum impact of the story. This movie will get into your head. It will keep you guessing the whole time. If you don't give this movie a chance you'll never know what you missed.
Twisty-turny thriller makes for compelling viewing
Leofwine_draca20 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A thriller that is actually thrilling? A complex film which is actually easy to follow? Well, it doesn't happen very often, but occasionally a certain director can pull off a potentially baffling movie and turn it into something of a masterpiece. This is the case with THE GAME, a typically dark and mysterious, occasionally disturbing film from director David Fincher. It's very much in the style of Fincher's other films, so it might be a good idea to have some idea of what to expect with this one. Basically, nothing is what it seems and the whole perception of reality and normal life is subverted in THE GAME, which starts off with a typical businessman in a typically dull life and soon goes off in some very strange directions indeed. Okay, so it's mightily implausible and some parts just don't make sense when you think about them a lot, but this is a darn sight better than most contemporary thrillers which are content to rehash old ideas and styles. Yes, it's original, and yes, it's a cracker.
There is an almost constant stream of intense situations, puzzles, and little mysteries going on in this movie. There's always something odd or exciting going on which means that it holds the attention throughout, from the very beginning to the very ending. The acting is exceptional, with Michael Douglas perfectly cast as the hard businessman caught up in some very strange situations. Sean Penn also has a good, if small, role as his wacky brother. The supporting cast are uniformly excellent, as is the camera-work, music, everything. Everything is exactly right with this film. Watch out for the weird, yet brilliant moment when Douglas' television starts talking to him. You won't believe your eyes either. There are also about ten twist endings to enjoy before the credits roll. THE GAME is a compelling, twisting thriller which deserves to be see by everybody immediately. Required viewing for Fincher fans, this Hollywood thriller is more mind-bending than most.
There is an almost constant stream of intense situations, puzzles, and little mysteries going on in this movie. There's always something odd or exciting going on which means that it holds the attention throughout, from the very beginning to the very ending. The acting is exceptional, with Michael Douglas perfectly cast as the hard businessman caught up in some very strange situations. Sean Penn also has a good, if small, role as his wacky brother. The supporting cast are uniformly excellent, as is the camera-work, music, everything. Everything is exactly right with this film. Watch out for the weird, yet brilliant moment when Douglas' television starts talking to him. You won't believe your eyes either. There are also about ten twist endings to enjoy before the credits roll. THE GAME is a compelling, twisting thriller which deserves to be see by everybody immediately. Required viewing for Fincher fans, this Hollywood thriller is more mind-bending than most.
Who Dealt This Mess?
rmax3048232 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS.
I think it was Chuang Dz who is supposed to have asked: "Last night I dreamed I was a butterfly. Today, am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?"
The question, like this movie and many others before it, deals with the problem of distinguishing what is real from what is illusory. An old philosophical question. But this movie does a pretty good job of exploring the issue.
The plot, basically is this. Sean Penn enrolls his brother Michael Douglas in something called "the game." Douglas enrolls in this program, a birthday present, without having any idea of what it's all about. Douglas is an extremely wealthy control freak who lives a life encased in ice. He's brutal to subordinates, frosty to friends, and lives alone and likes it. Then things begin to go wrong. First little things. His pen leaks and stains his shirt at the airport. A waitress spills wine all over him at his favorite restaurant. A man seems to drop dead in front of him. Then things spin wildly out of control. People shoot at him. His bank accounts are emptied by the people running the game. A wild taxi ride ends up with him trapped in the car at the bottom of San Francisco Bay. He's drugged by someone he trusts and wakes up dressed in rags, his nose bloodied, with no ID and no money, in a rubbish-strewn Mexican graveyard. This has happened to me once or twice and I can tell you -- it's discomfiting.
It's like an episode from The Twilight Zone or John Fowles' novel "The Magus". Or, citing cinematic history, like the pod people or Carpenter's "The Thing" or Steve Railsback in "The Stuntman." Who belongs to the conspiracy and who doesn't. Or does ANYBODY not belong? And, as a birthday present, this "game" is like one of those really ugly ties that somebody gives you, that you know you'll never wear, but you can't take it back either.
Douglas gives a surprisingly good performance. He has greater range than I'd previously given him credit for. He shows the same disdain for others that he did as Gordon Gekko but he brings a fragility to the character as well. When he sees mouth-to-mouth resuscitation being given to someone he displays what could easily pass for real disgust. And when he cuts his hand on a sliver of glass, he grimaces with pain while he rinses it and wraps it in a handkerchief, the way the adventurer of "Romancing the Stone" would never do. And there is none of the comfortable matter-of-fact laid back quality he showed as a doctor and boy friend in "Coma." The other performers are competent but Douglas has the only role that stands out.
Interesting use of location shooting too. San Francisco doesn't look like an urban theme park here. Almost all the scenes take place at night on depopulated streets and they make San Francisco look about as ugly as it's possible to make the city look. The dialog doesn't leap out at you but it does have its quiet wit, which I'm not sure is always appropriate. Douglas loses a shoe to an attack dog. "There goes a thousand dollars," he remarks to his companion. "Your shoes cost a thousand dollars?" she asks. "That one did."
At the movie's end, just when you think the game is over, there's yet another twist coming, the last one leading Douglas to suicide by jumping off the roof of a high-rise hotel, only to land safely on an air bag judiciously placed below in what looks like the lounge of the Sheraton Palace. The movie is entirely implausible. As explained at the end, there isn't a believable moment in it. But it has the kind of illogic that a real nightmare has. The viewer may realize afterward that what has happened is impossible but Douglas has no way of finding that out. Everything seems askew to him as it does to us while we watch. Even Daniel Schorr on CNN has an interactive exchange with him. "This is impossible," says Douglas. "That's right," replies Schorr. "It's impossible. You're having a conversation with your TV set." If you can't trust Daniel Schorr something is seriously screwed up.
Alas, the denouement does flunk the believability test, and badly. Douglas has been put through hell, and it all turns out for the best -- all those dangerous pranks, the living nightmare, the humiliation, the druggings, the action movie clichés, all have made him "a better man." He's grateful. Whereas a lot of fairly normal people, myself included, would try to track down every soul involved in this scam and beat the living crap out of them. I'd make a particular point of celebrating my brother Sean Penn's next birthday by crowning him with a crowbar -- a real one.
I think it was Chuang Dz who is supposed to have asked: "Last night I dreamed I was a butterfly. Today, am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?"
The question, like this movie and many others before it, deals with the problem of distinguishing what is real from what is illusory. An old philosophical question. But this movie does a pretty good job of exploring the issue.
The plot, basically is this. Sean Penn enrolls his brother Michael Douglas in something called "the game." Douglas enrolls in this program, a birthday present, without having any idea of what it's all about. Douglas is an extremely wealthy control freak who lives a life encased in ice. He's brutal to subordinates, frosty to friends, and lives alone and likes it. Then things begin to go wrong. First little things. His pen leaks and stains his shirt at the airport. A waitress spills wine all over him at his favorite restaurant. A man seems to drop dead in front of him. Then things spin wildly out of control. People shoot at him. His bank accounts are emptied by the people running the game. A wild taxi ride ends up with him trapped in the car at the bottom of San Francisco Bay. He's drugged by someone he trusts and wakes up dressed in rags, his nose bloodied, with no ID and no money, in a rubbish-strewn Mexican graveyard. This has happened to me once or twice and I can tell you -- it's discomfiting.
It's like an episode from The Twilight Zone or John Fowles' novel "The Magus". Or, citing cinematic history, like the pod people or Carpenter's "The Thing" or Steve Railsback in "The Stuntman." Who belongs to the conspiracy and who doesn't. Or does ANYBODY not belong? And, as a birthday present, this "game" is like one of those really ugly ties that somebody gives you, that you know you'll never wear, but you can't take it back either.
Douglas gives a surprisingly good performance. He has greater range than I'd previously given him credit for. He shows the same disdain for others that he did as Gordon Gekko but he brings a fragility to the character as well. When he sees mouth-to-mouth resuscitation being given to someone he displays what could easily pass for real disgust. And when he cuts his hand on a sliver of glass, he grimaces with pain while he rinses it and wraps it in a handkerchief, the way the adventurer of "Romancing the Stone" would never do. And there is none of the comfortable matter-of-fact laid back quality he showed as a doctor and boy friend in "Coma." The other performers are competent but Douglas has the only role that stands out.
Interesting use of location shooting too. San Francisco doesn't look like an urban theme park here. Almost all the scenes take place at night on depopulated streets and they make San Francisco look about as ugly as it's possible to make the city look. The dialog doesn't leap out at you but it does have its quiet wit, which I'm not sure is always appropriate. Douglas loses a shoe to an attack dog. "There goes a thousand dollars," he remarks to his companion. "Your shoes cost a thousand dollars?" she asks. "That one did."
At the movie's end, just when you think the game is over, there's yet another twist coming, the last one leading Douglas to suicide by jumping off the roof of a high-rise hotel, only to land safely on an air bag judiciously placed below in what looks like the lounge of the Sheraton Palace. The movie is entirely implausible. As explained at the end, there isn't a believable moment in it. But it has the kind of illogic that a real nightmare has. The viewer may realize afterward that what has happened is impossible but Douglas has no way of finding that out. Everything seems askew to him as it does to us while we watch. Even Daniel Schorr on CNN has an interactive exchange with him. "This is impossible," says Douglas. "That's right," replies Schorr. "It's impossible. You're having a conversation with your TV set." If you can't trust Daniel Schorr something is seriously screwed up.
Alas, the denouement does flunk the believability test, and badly. Douglas has been put through hell, and it all turns out for the best -- all those dangerous pranks, the living nightmare, the humiliation, the druggings, the action movie clichés, all have made him "a better man." He's grateful. Whereas a lot of fairly normal people, myself included, would try to track down every soul involved in this scam and beat the living crap out of them. I'd make a particular point of celebrating my brother Sean Penn's next birthday by crowning him with a crowbar -- a real one.
As gripping as it gets.
Benzzo2 August 1998
Whether you love it or hate it, The Game definitely will not bore you. By far the most engrossing movie I've ever watched. I saw this on the big screen and throughout most of this masterpiece I kept asking myself, "where is this movie going?" For 128 spirited minutes The Game takes your mind and twists it ruthlessly, contorting it in any way it so desires. Michael Douglas is the perfect actor for this role, he played it flawlessly. I love this movie, it's definitely one of my personal favorites.
Twists upon twists, amazing filming, stunning acting, and a preposterous end
secondtake8 December 2011
The Game (1997)
The steely intensity of Michael Douglas comes to play once again here in a role where that determination keeps getting waylaid by the mixed-up birthday present he's been handed, somewhat against his will.
Or against his better judgement, at first, because he does sign off on playing "The Game," which is an experience with a bow. That is, without any good clues about who the players are or why it's quite happening, except that his birthday has come and gone, events begin to happen around him that are inexplicable. And that he can't ignore.
Intensity rules. Douglas, playing the obscenely wealthy Nicholas Van Orton, gets led further and further into the madness and crime and murder of this huge huge charade. Or so it seems.
In a manner the director, David Fincher, is cozy with, reality bends but psychology seems to be solid. That is, you are secure, somehow, in the main actor's head as the world distorts. The main example is of course "The Fight Club," the distortions are almost literal in the more ordinary "Panic Room," and the world is somewhat friendlier in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Yes, these are all Fincher films (as is the brand new American version "Dragon Tattoo" flick and the riveting "Se7en").
The production and the shooting and editing in particular are all first rate, classic Fincher. Douglas plays his part with conviction and you end up not quite sympathizing with him (he's a spoiled jerk even as his world evaporates) but you certainly are in his shoes, wondering what is going on. It's crazy and exciting and certainly baffling for a viewer--which is part of the game, actually. The viewer is another layer in the layers of perceivable reality.
And then it just goes too far. In a way, the film is preposterous from the start, but yet you go along with the idea because very rich people have very unusual lives, and maybe this kind of mind-trip birthday present with lots of people participating could happen. Money moves mountains. But when things get almost comically absurd, when the twists of identity and loyalty keep happening, you want to just say, walk away. Get a grip. Refuse to play, or maybe (at least) refuse to believe things like this are possible.
This is where Michael Douglas is perfect, and maybe does what few actors could pull off. Because as it gets insane, his character toughs it out. He's the type to take a challenge, to get extreme, to be risky, to protect his self-interests without surrender.
In some ways it's a great movie, so watch it as if it'll never let you go. And when it's just too much, be glad you went along for as long as you did. And enjoy the rest of the show for its theatrics. It remains really well made all through.
The steely intensity of Michael Douglas comes to play once again here in a role where that determination keeps getting waylaid by the mixed-up birthday present he's been handed, somewhat against his will.
Or against his better judgement, at first, because he does sign off on playing "The Game," which is an experience with a bow. That is, without any good clues about who the players are or why it's quite happening, except that his birthday has come and gone, events begin to happen around him that are inexplicable. And that he can't ignore.
Intensity rules. Douglas, playing the obscenely wealthy Nicholas Van Orton, gets led further and further into the madness and crime and murder of this huge huge charade. Or so it seems.
In a manner the director, David Fincher, is cozy with, reality bends but psychology seems to be solid. That is, you are secure, somehow, in the main actor's head as the world distorts. The main example is of course "The Fight Club," the distortions are almost literal in the more ordinary "Panic Room," and the world is somewhat friendlier in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Yes, these are all Fincher films (as is the brand new American version "Dragon Tattoo" flick and the riveting "Se7en").
The production and the shooting and editing in particular are all first rate, classic Fincher. Douglas plays his part with conviction and you end up not quite sympathizing with him (he's a spoiled jerk even as his world evaporates) but you certainly are in his shoes, wondering what is going on. It's crazy and exciting and certainly baffling for a viewer--which is part of the game, actually. The viewer is another layer in the layers of perceivable reality.
And then it just goes too far. In a way, the film is preposterous from the start, but yet you go along with the idea because very rich people have very unusual lives, and maybe this kind of mind-trip birthday present with lots of people participating could happen. Money moves mountains. But when things get almost comically absurd, when the twists of identity and loyalty keep happening, you want to just say, walk away. Get a grip. Refuse to play, or maybe (at least) refuse to believe things like this are possible.
This is where Michael Douglas is perfect, and maybe does what few actors could pull off. Because as it gets insane, his character toughs it out. He's the type to take a challenge, to get extreme, to be risky, to protect his self-interests without surrender.
In some ways it's a great movie, so watch it as if it'll never let you go. And when it's just too much, be glad you went along for as long as you did. And enjoy the rest of the show for its theatrics. It remains really well made all through.
Good start, then the ending was bad.
silarpac27 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This film made sense up to about 3/4 of the way through. We had a suspense crime drama with exciting plot twists and a Scrooge-like protagonist getting his comeuppance, so far so good. But at the end the writers decide to throw a plot curve ball that misses the strike zone by a mile. It turns out that all the machine guns, explosions, attempted murder, and psychological terror was just a joke and it was all just good clean fun. Huh? Who would pay an organization to drive their client to the point of attempting suicide??? Why the client's brother of course! He did it because his brother was becoming "such an asshole" and he wanted to help him.
This was a reworking of the Christmas Carol plot except in this version Scrooge isn't taught anything about goodness or love for his fellow man. He is just terrorized to the point of madness and the audience is supposed to accept this as a good thing to do. In the end he accepts that it was all for the best and even thanks the brother and offers to pay for half of the cost of the plot to terrorize him. I gave the movie a five because it was really well done up till the ending but these filmmakers have their moral values frapped in a blender.
This was a reworking of the Christmas Carol plot except in this version Scrooge isn't taught anything about goodness or love for his fellow man. He is just terrorized to the point of madness and the audience is supposed to accept this as a good thing to do. In the end he accepts that it was all for the best and even thanks the brother and offers to pay for half of the cost of the plot to terrorize him. I gave the movie a five because it was really well done up till the ending but these filmmakers have their moral values frapped in a blender.
Tight, twisted and tense - one of the most interesting thrillers of the '90s
MaxBorg8920 May 2007
Having conquered the critics (and the box-office) with Se7en, David Fincher could have "sold out" and kept delivering more of the same. Fortunately, he was wise enough to try different paths, and although all his movies can be classified as thrillers there's no real similarity between them, except maybe a common theme of alienation and solitude.
In Fincher's third film, The Game, that solitude is physically incarnated by Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a wealthy businessman who is so obsessed with his job he has forgotten everything about the simple joys of life. The only person who still stays in touch with him is his younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn), who is Nicholas' polar opposite in terms of attitude. One night, when they're out to celebrate the elder brother's birthday, Conrad mentions a "game" that changed his life and suggests Nicholas participate too, as it would be "fun". Though initially hesitant, the latter eventually gives in to curiosity and decides to give it a shot. Within a few hours, however, he will regret it: the "game" is actually some sort of conspiracy involving everyone in town. With his assets frozen, his apartment no longer a safe place and no one left to trust, Nicholas must figure out how to solve the problem before it's too late - for him or someone else...
As usual, Fincher makes sure the film works on a technical level, cleverly using camera angles, lighting (shades of red and brown being the dominant color) and editing to keep the suspense alive and the atmosphere conveniently murky. It is mainly this masterful handling of film-making tools that keeps the viewer from questioning the logic of the nonetheless brilliant screenplay, some of the twists giving the impression of a dystopic set-up rather than a plausible situation (and yet the script is supposedly based on a real event). Two other elements contribute to elevating The Game above the average mystery tale: a truly unpredictable, phenomenal ending, in pure Fincher tradition (well, at least until he made Panic Room), and the great work by the leading men, Douglas' paranoid desperation slyly erasing all hints of typecasting (after all, this is not the first time he has played someone who is being manipulated; in fact, one scene explicitly spoofs one of those previous movies) and Penn's smug anarchy anticipating director's masterpiece, Fight Club, and its central character, Tyler Durden (without a doubt Brad Pitt's best role to date).
In short, those looking for a "different" cinematic experience should give The Game a try: it might come off as overly cold or contrived at first, but like all of Fincher's movies it deserves a re-evaluation (Fight Club wasn't exactly a hit when originally released) and stands the test of time as one of the most original, smartest films of the '90s.
In Fincher's third film, The Game, that solitude is physically incarnated by Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a wealthy businessman who is so obsessed with his job he has forgotten everything about the simple joys of life. The only person who still stays in touch with him is his younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn), who is Nicholas' polar opposite in terms of attitude. One night, when they're out to celebrate the elder brother's birthday, Conrad mentions a "game" that changed his life and suggests Nicholas participate too, as it would be "fun". Though initially hesitant, the latter eventually gives in to curiosity and decides to give it a shot. Within a few hours, however, he will regret it: the "game" is actually some sort of conspiracy involving everyone in town. With his assets frozen, his apartment no longer a safe place and no one left to trust, Nicholas must figure out how to solve the problem before it's too late - for him or someone else...
As usual, Fincher makes sure the film works on a technical level, cleverly using camera angles, lighting (shades of red and brown being the dominant color) and editing to keep the suspense alive and the atmosphere conveniently murky. It is mainly this masterful handling of film-making tools that keeps the viewer from questioning the logic of the nonetheless brilliant screenplay, some of the twists giving the impression of a dystopic set-up rather than a plausible situation (and yet the script is supposedly based on a real event). Two other elements contribute to elevating The Game above the average mystery tale: a truly unpredictable, phenomenal ending, in pure Fincher tradition (well, at least until he made Panic Room), and the great work by the leading men, Douglas' paranoid desperation slyly erasing all hints of typecasting (after all, this is not the first time he has played someone who is being manipulated; in fact, one scene explicitly spoofs one of those previous movies) and Penn's smug anarchy anticipating director's masterpiece, Fight Club, and its central character, Tyler Durden (without a doubt Brad Pitt's best role to date).
In short, those looking for a "different" cinematic experience should give The Game a try: it might come off as overly cold or contrived at first, but like all of Fincher's movies it deserves a re-evaluation (Fight Club wasn't exactly a hit when originally released) and stands the test of time as one of the most original, smartest films of the '90s.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one.
planktonrules6 November 2018
Sean Penn is not the most popular celebrity and has created a few enemies over the years. However, this does not make his performance nor the film "The Game" something to avoid...and considering I am no fan of him as a person, the fact I loved the movie so much says a lot. THE GAME is exceptional...and you'd be doing yourself a favor by watching it. THE GAME is one heck of a great film, as I give it a well-deserved score of 9 because it's so well written and entertaining. It is one of the most exciting and riveting films of recent memory. You've got to see this film! I'll say no more because I don't want to spoil it.
"This is your game Nicholas, and welcome to it."
classicsoncall17 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
What I'll say about "The Game" is what I say about a lot of action/thriller films. As you're watching, the story engages with an innovative concept, uses clever twists and delivers excitement at a visceral level. But then, when you have time to reflect on the story, it kind of falls apart when you consider what would have been required to pull it all off. This one relied on Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) to make the decisions precisely that he did, especially at the very end when his attempted suicide was thwarted to put an end to the game. How did the 'Game' manipulators know he would even think of something like that? Sure they ran that psychological profile, but by the time came when he shot his brother Conrad (Sean Penn), Van Orton's judgment would have been severely put to the limit to act rationally.
There's also the complexity of the set-ups, which would have required months of planning and getting the right players in place to pull off the Game. No way could it have been rigged during the amount of time allotted for Van Orton to begin the game as soon as he signed off on it. And how about a situation like the one in which the taxi driver bailed and the cab plunged into the river? One assumes that the assassin bullets were blanks and the shattered objects that were hit were set off with miniature explosives, but how would you explain Van Orton making his way out of the sinking cab in time to avoid drowning? It all requires a major suspension of disbelief to view the events happening on screen as if they were actually possible.
And finally, who would have come up with the price tag for this extraordinary con job? Conrad didn't appear to have the means to pull it off, which leads us to the idea that Nicholas Van Orton would probably have had to foot the bill to scare the living crap out of himself. With that kind of money, he could have gotten himself a real birthday present.
There's also the complexity of the set-ups, which would have required months of planning and getting the right players in place to pull off the Game. No way could it have been rigged during the amount of time allotted for Van Orton to begin the game as soon as he signed off on it. And how about a situation like the one in which the taxi driver bailed and the cab plunged into the river? One assumes that the assassin bullets were blanks and the shattered objects that were hit were set off with miniature explosives, but how would you explain Van Orton making his way out of the sinking cab in time to avoid drowning? It all requires a major suspension of disbelief to view the events happening on screen as if they were actually possible.
And finally, who would have come up with the price tag for this extraordinary con job? Conrad didn't appear to have the means to pull it off, which leads us to the idea that Nicholas Van Orton would probably have had to foot the bill to scare the living crap out of himself. With that kind of money, he could have gotten himself a real birthday present.
....and when it was all over, I was blown away
Agent1018 April 2002
Very few films have captured my attention the way The Game did. Every turn, every corner seemed to have some hint of intrigue and deception. This film would be the life's work for any major film maker, but then again, this David Fincher were talking about.
Years from now, when Fincher is honored with his lifetime achievement award at the Academy Awards, his true fans will always remember this film. It put a whole new twist on the idea of "plot-twist." One of the few films me and my father both liked (we never agree on any film).
Years from now, when Fincher is honored with his lifetime achievement award at the Academy Awards, his true fans will always remember this film. It put a whole new twist on the idea of "plot-twist." One of the few films me and my father both liked (we never agree on any film).
Ages well over time
safenoe27 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I saw The Game just a few nights ago and I was captivated for sure. Yes you have to suspend your disbelief, but so what? It's a meta-movie that keeps you guessing to the end. It's an honor that the Simpsons referenced the ending in the episode Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind.
The Game is ON.
redarea11 September 2011
I was hungry like anything when I started watching this movie and that was the only time I felt hungry. 2 hours and 3 minutes passed like you are playing your favorite GAME and could not concentrate anything else. If you think Micheal Douglas is an over rated actor then this movie is enough to prove you wrong. Sean Penn does full justice to his cameo. This is not a movie that leaves you with puzzles after watching unlike many mystery thrillers, instead it solves itself and relaxes your muscles after a rough ride. This is a movie with an engrossing script, excellent acting and flawless direction. If you have not watched this movie yet then PLAY it. You wont regret it all. Entertainment at its best. Now I can have my snacks and you go watch it. 8/10
Terrific Thriller!
gwnightscream19 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Michael Douglas, Sean Penn and Deborah Kara Unger star in this 1997 thriller. A man is drawn into a mysterious game after his brother gives him a birthday present. Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a bitter, wealthy businessman who lives in San Francisco. His brother, Conrad (Penn) gives him a birthday present involving a game that could change his life. Nicholas accepts and enrolls in the company, CRS (Consumer Recreation Services) providing the game and Nicholas becomes drawn into a devastating nightmare. He meets a woman, Christine (Unger) who helps him and could be part of the game. This is definitely one of Michael's best, he and Sean are great together and Howard Shore's score is also great. I recommend this terrific thriller.
An extremely underrated movie
Confidante7728 January 2007
After the great success, both with critics and with the public, of "Seven", Director David Fincher turned to this film. It has often been said that this movie was one he'd wanted to make for a long time and upon viewing you can really see his belief in both characters and the story- overall an excellently directed movie.
Although several people argued that "Seven" was gory, in my opinion it wasn't, for example, there is a total lack of blood in the Lust scene, something which I particularly admired- the fact that a director could make a chilling and shocking movie without resorting to piling tons of blood onto the screen. Fincher continues this streak in "The Game" by drawing the tension and shocks of the film by using psychological terror.
Unfortunately, the movie could not parallel the success of "seven" upon its release and also received mixed critical reviews, however since then it has become somewhat of a cult movie with far more success on DVD than in the box office.
Perhaps most notable about the film is the fact that (apparently) Fincher himself often seems to direct his actors in a detached way, the way one might move around chess pieces in a game. Whether this is 100% true or not his direction, the acting and just about everything else is superb.
Although several people argued that "Seven" was gory, in my opinion it wasn't, for example, there is a total lack of blood in the Lust scene, something which I particularly admired- the fact that a director could make a chilling and shocking movie without resorting to piling tons of blood onto the screen. Fincher continues this streak in "The Game" by drawing the tension and shocks of the film by using psychological terror.
Unfortunately, the movie could not parallel the success of "seven" upon its release and also received mixed critical reviews, however since then it has become somewhat of a cult movie with far more success on DVD than in the box office.
Perhaps most notable about the film is the fact that (apparently) Fincher himself often seems to direct his actors in a detached way, the way one might move around chess pieces in a game. Whether this is 100% true or not his direction, the acting and just about everything else is superb.
Hitchcock Would Be Proud--If it Didn't Have So Many Darn Plot Holes...
MovieAddict201611 April 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Conspiracies. Films tend to be made about conspiracies and mysteries. Everyone has conspiracy theories that they put in movies ("JFK," "Conspiracy Theory"). "The Game" is a different kind of conspiracy. It is about an entire organization holding something against one man. Only a few people know about this organization and what it does in the movie, it seems. But if only a handful of people know about the organization, how could it possibly get booming business? That's one of the many, many plot holes that "The Game" seems to have. It just has too many plot holes to save itself. It has a pretty good plot, good acting, good directing...even a good script...but the plot holes in the script cause the problems.
Michael Douglas plays a rich businessman, whose birthday is coming up soon. Sean Penn, his younger brother, tells Douglas that he (Penn) has bought a present for Douglas called "The Game." Douglas goes to the location of The Game Headquarters (it has a name but I can't remember right now), and there he finds out that The Game Headquarters must test Douglas' health before they activate it (The Game). They ask him questions, do health tests...all of this going to use later...and then Douglas goes to dinner. At dinner, one thing leads to another and pretty soon things start happening. A hysterical Penn tells Douglas that he didn't have enough money to pay for The Game, and now The Game is coming after him. So now Douglas is caught up in this conspiracy which he may never get out of alive. Because now they're coming after him. Blackmail is only the beginning of what they'll do to Douglas.
First of all, "The Game" has a nice setup. I really enjoyed the beginning. It holds a great sense of suspense, and seems to be filmed effectively, in a very suspenseful way. It has all the markings of a Hitchcockian thriller. Unfortunately, Hitchcock would have ironed out the plot holes before he filmed the movie, because despite being a suspenseful film, the plot holes are unbearable, kind of negating all the suspense and belief in the film.
SPOILERS
First of all, how does The Game know that Douglas is going to do everything he does? They're betting an awful lot that he will jump off the building at JUST the right spot to crash through JUST the right glass (if you've seen the film you'll know what I mean). I can't exactly go into the entire film--it would spoil the entire thing--but the plot holes in the movie are just too obvious. They are literally betting on every step Douglas will take, and while they have people to help him make decisions along the way, there are times that he is by himself...how do they know, in a moment of despair, he will not try to put a gun to his head?
At the end (major spoiler ahead), Douglas stands on the edge of a skyscraper with a gun. They make it look as though Douglas has just shot his brother (by accident). Douglas, on the verge of a mental breakdown, walks to the edge of the skyscraper and jumps. Here are two things.
1. How did they know Douglas wouldn't just lift the gun to his head and blow it off? Why jump off the building? Yeah, I know, that's what his father did and therefore Douglas would do the same--but what if he hadn't? If I were Douglas' character, just because my father jumps off a building doesn't mean that that would be my decision of effective suicide.
2. What if Douglas had jumped off the wrong point of the building? What if he all of a sudden, before anyone could do anything, he decided to run off the other end of the building? And even if he jumped off the building at the right point, what if a) the wind (there could be some strong gusts from that high up) blew him away from his destination, and b) from that speed, even fake glass would cut him up IF he reached his destination.
That's one of the things that got me, but really, the whole sake of the film lies on what Douglas will do. What if Douglas shot himself early on? What if the shock of thinking he killed his brother gave him a heart attack? What if he didn't get out of the underwater taxi and drowned? What if? If I were The Game, I wouldn't bet that much on a suicidal man.
Michael Douglas plays a rich businessman, whose birthday is coming up soon. Sean Penn, his younger brother, tells Douglas that he (Penn) has bought a present for Douglas called "The Game." Douglas goes to the location of The Game Headquarters (it has a name but I can't remember right now), and there he finds out that The Game Headquarters must test Douglas' health before they activate it (The Game). They ask him questions, do health tests...all of this going to use later...and then Douglas goes to dinner. At dinner, one thing leads to another and pretty soon things start happening. A hysterical Penn tells Douglas that he didn't have enough money to pay for The Game, and now The Game is coming after him. So now Douglas is caught up in this conspiracy which he may never get out of alive. Because now they're coming after him. Blackmail is only the beginning of what they'll do to Douglas.
First of all, "The Game" has a nice setup. I really enjoyed the beginning. It holds a great sense of suspense, and seems to be filmed effectively, in a very suspenseful way. It has all the markings of a Hitchcockian thriller. Unfortunately, Hitchcock would have ironed out the plot holes before he filmed the movie, because despite being a suspenseful film, the plot holes are unbearable, kind of negating all the suspense and belief in the film.
SPOILERS
First of all, how does The Game know that Douglas is going to do everything he does? They're betting an awful lot that he will jump off the building at JUST the right spot to crash through JUST the right glass (if you've seen the film you'll know what I mean). I can't exactly go into the entire film--it would spoil the entire thing--but the plot holes in the movie are just too obvious. They are literally betting on every step Douglas will take, and while they have people to help him make decisions along the way, there are times that he is by himself...how do they know, in a moment of despair, he will not try to put a gun to his head?
At the end (major spoiler ahead), Douglas stands on the edge of a skyscraper with a gun. They make it look as though Douglas has just shot his brother (by accident). Douglas, on the verge of a mental breakdown, walks to the edge of the skyscraper and jumps. Here are two things.
1. How did they know Douglas wouldn't just lift the gun to his head and blow it off? Why jump off the building? Yeah, I know, that's what his father did and therefore Douglas would do the same--but what if he hadn't? If I were Douglas' character, just because my father jumps off a building doesn't mean that that would be my decision of effective suicide.
2. What if Douglas had jumped off the wrong point of the building? What if he all of a sudden, before anyone could do anything, he decided to run off the other end of the building? And even if he jumped off the building at the right point, what if a) the wind (there could be some strong gusts from that high up) blew him away from his destination, and b) from that speed, even fake glass would cut him up IF he reached his destination.
That's one of the things that got me, but really, the whole sake of the film lies on what Douglas will do. What if Douglas shot himself early on? What if the shock of thinking he killed his brother gave him a heart attack? What if he didn't get out of the underwater taxi and drowned? What if? If I were The Game, I wouldn't bet that much on a suicidal man.
Definately a thrill, but FULL of holes!
Kimal900016 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler: When they stand on the roof in the end, and she "discover" that he had a "real gun", he could have shot anybody, not just his brother by accident! And when he jumpes off the roof: What if he decided to jump off anywhere else then the exact place required to hit the X? Some birthdaypresent that would have been! And; COME ON! Like they would have destroyed the old glass roof on that restaurant for this game!
And there were hundreds of other occations where he could have run another way and missed the next step in the game, or not followed through on "leads" and so on. It simply becomes so unbelievable to be a thrill anymore. And all of these things I mention are easily correctable in the script. But Michael Douglas is always great in thrillers / adventures, so that in itself makes this move watchable.
And there were hundreds of other occations where he could have run another way and missed the next step in the game, or not followed through on "leads" and so on. It simply becomes so unbelievable to be a thrill anymore. And all of these things I mention are easily correctable in the script. But Michael Douglas is always great in thrillers / adventures, so that in itself makes this move watchable.
My favorite movie of all times and not for the obvious reasons.
kbright29 January 2009
I first saw this on VHS tape when it first came out. It was not in theaters long enough for word of mouth to drive a wave of references. This was the only movie I ever had to immediately rewind, gather the family and watch it again that night. Do not watch on TV where it is has been cut for time. What I liked about this film is that every frame and every scene was important to the story. There are no puppy in the window filler shots. I applaud the writing and the directing for such an intricate weaving of "The Game" concept. Not a film for those with no patience or interest in covert operations. I now enjoy watching others watch this film as they start to recognize things and try to figure out what is going on, only to be wrong several times. I see something new every time I watch it. Brilliant concept and execution of the concept on film.
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