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Reviews
Fight Club (1999)
Surpassed my expectations to become my favourite film
The first rule about Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club! But I have to, I really have to tell people just how much I enjoyed this film. Totally not what I thought it was going to be, the film is actually more psychological than it is action and even though there is violence, it never really feels gratuitous or "testosterone filled" like some movies do.
The plot, which is from the book of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, follows a young man (Edward Norton) who spends his evenings hiding away in support groups for conditions he does not have, that is until he meets Tyler Durdan (Brad Pitt). Tyler introduces the narrator to an underground world of Fights, secrets, and revenge against society at large.
I fell in love with Brad Pitt from this film. His role is both charismatic and frightening at the same time, and he is totally believable. By this I mean he doesn't ham it up like I expect some actors would in such a powerful role.
Edward Norton once again does not disappoint, with his occasionally humorous deadpan approach to the narration and again natural performance that truly brings you into the shoes of the everyman character he portrays.
My biggest surprise was Helena Bonham Carter, who I almost didn't recognise she was so different from anything I've ever seen before, brilliant.
The direction is different to what you would normally see. The visuals communicate the plot in more ways than one, and really bring out the energy of the fight scenes.
To say anything about the ending will give away the plot, except that the ending will surprise you. This is a film that you really need to see twice to get the full story from, but it is worth it (as is the book BTW).
Farscape (1999)
What More Needs to be Said
I literally stumbled into Farscape midway through season 3 (probably my best timed illness yet), and even having missed most of the character development and story, I still found the show very entertaining. Now, having quickly caught up with myself, I'm loving it even more.
It's a shame that this show was cancelled, because it was I think one of the better sci fi shows out there at the time, and not just that. There is drama, there is comedy, there is romance, here be Puppets ^_^. How many other shows can offer you that in a gorgeous leather bound package that never seems to stop twisting the plots and throwing viewers into Uncharted Territories. The animated episode, nuff said.
Both Ben Browder and Claudia Black excelled in the leads, and the entire cast were amazing. It's rare that you get a show where everyone seems to meld together so well. It makes the comedy even funnier and the drama sometimes painful to watch (in a good way). Also nice to actually find myself sympathising with the baddie for a change, okay he was evil, but he also had noble goals.
Even after its cancellation, Farscape remains one of my all time favourite shows, and probably will be for many years to come yet.
Cube (1997)
Certainly one that I would recommend...
PLEASE NOTE MILD SPOILERS WITHIN
6 people wake up in a prison of multicoloured, CUBE shaped rooms, most of which are filled with traps. They have to escape.
That's it? Certainly what I though when the film was introduced to me. Don't be fooled though, there is much more to CUBE than its concept would make you think.
The focus in CUBE is not so much the story but the characters within it, how they interact and react to each other and what is going on around them. It explores how easily a person can 'turn' with the need to survive. CUBE is ultimately a look at human nature done in an interesting and wholly original way.
Not that there isn't a good story as well, full of twists, revelations and tense moments, not to mention maths.
The sets are imaginative (considering they only had one sound stage to film in and a limited budget). There are also great performances from all members of the small cast, while director Vincenzo Natali creates brilliant tension with his camera work, angles, and pacing.
CUBE is probably not a film to everyone's taste, but it is certainly one that I would recommend to Sci Fi fans and / or psychological thriller fans alike, especially if you are looking for a relief from the action bred 'spoon feeding' that some films seem to provide these days. I certainly found it entertaining.