A nameless man (Edward Norton) suffering from insomnia is a traveling investigator for a car company. He goes to a support meeting. He is addicted and starts going to all kinds of support meetings. He encounters another meeting groupie Marla Singer (Bonham Carter). She is uninhibited. On a flight home, he encounters Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) who makes his own soap. They bond over their dislike of consumerism. Man with no name loses his apartment due to a gas explosion. Outside a bar, Tyler asks him to hit him. He starts staying at Tyler's dilapidated isolated mansion.

I want to like this a lot more. I want this movie to say something about consumerism and effeminization of society. I want this movie to take a profound stance on the state of the male position in modern society. It also touches on the isolation of the modern world. It seems set up for something great but then the movie gives a twist that takes much of the punch away. The movie becomes about the twist and I don't know what the movie says about anything else.

Edward Norton and Brad Pitt form a very strange bond that seems, at times, like it has strong sadomasochistic and gay undertones. They both get off on fighting and at times there seems to be a very odd chemistry between them. During the course of their friendship, Pitt shows Norton how to be more and more and more bizarre and wrapped up in a weird hobby they created, the "Fight Club" where testosterone-hyped idiots experience the joy of beating each others' brains in so they can prove their manliness. However, as the film progresses, the club becomes more like a club for anarchists and Norton begins to question where they are headed.

This is a movie that had lots of interesting little touches and twists. However, in many cases, they were very cool but also didn't particularly make much sense. The last 20 minutes of the film in particular is really cool--but it just doesn't make sense psychologically and seemed more interested in wowing the audience instead of ringing true. Because of this, I felt that this cult film is impossibly overrated--especially since it's now #25 all-time on IMDb! I won't spoil the surprises, don't worry but suffice to say that by the movie is finished you have absolutely no idea what actually happened.

As a high school teacher, I also was alarmed that this film actually encouraged the growth of a sick subculture. A group of boys in my school started their own "fight club" and took great pleasure in proving their manliness. I guess if they didn't get off by hurting each other UFC-style, they'd have to "prove" their manliness by shooting bunnies or some other mindless guy way--but I hate to see that supposedly civilized people LIKE the idea of watching others become hurt.

Additionally, the film is packed with some of the most brutal violence you'll find on celluloid and there is tons of nudity, sexuality and terrorism--just the sort of stuff you'd never want your teens to watch. Unfortunately, among teenage boys, this film is practically a "must-see". Parents, exercise some common sense and keep this nihilistic and cruel film away from your kids. If you want to see it yourself, fine, since you probably WON'T be tempted to imitate it. Kids will---I can attest to that.

David Fincher's dark, brooding assault on the senses employs much of the same style as he used in SEVEN, to great effect. This is a complex, intelligent film which, for a change, doesn't take the viewer for granted. A big streak of black comedy runs through the centre, making things a bit easier to cope with, but it's still a morose, disturbing film, a good film, yes, but not one which makes you feel good after watching it.

The plot twists and turns continually, from beginning to end. Things start off on a relatively small scale to become outrageous and explosive at the film's finale. There's also one of those very-clever twists at the end, so favoured by the likes of THE USUAL SUSPECTS. There is plenty of sick humour, the highlight being the hilarious scene involving the liposuction fat - you'll know it when you see it.

With a film like this, the acting has to be brilliant, and it frequently is. Edward Norton excels as the narrator of the story, caught up in all the madness, and it's a multi-faceted, psychologically-focused performance. Brad Pitt doesn't really stretch himself but he fits the bill well and isn't afraid to put off his female fans by appearing broken and bloodied in a film like this. Other actors, ranging from Meat Loaf to Jared Leto, are also very good.

The violence is extremely brutal and unglamourised. Heads are knocked hard against concrete, acid is poured over flesh, teeth are knocked out, and noses are split open. This is a hard film to watch, but fascinating at the same time. Fiendishly clever and highly suspenseful, I would rate FIGHT CLUB as one of the best films of 1999 - on par with THE SIXTH SENSE, and just under my favourite, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Buy it, rent it, steal it, but be prepared: you won't be the same afterwards.