David Fincher: The Career That Almost Wasn't - Part 1

Partial Education Presents

David Fincher: The Career That Almost Wasn't - Part 1

Featuring Partially Educated Reviews of

Alien 3

Seven

The Game
Fight Club

and Panic Room

At the end of the my last post, I said that I'd be reviewing Gone Girl this week. I lied. That will actually be in Part 2 of this look at the films of David Fincher. Much like I did with Danny Boyle, I decided to have a Fincher marathon and then go ahead and review all of his films over a couple of posts. Why? Because I really like David Fincher.

This is a review of the Theatrical Cut. I have never seen the Assembly Cut, which Fincher had absolutely nothing to do with anyway.

Fincher's debut feature film is one that could have also been his last. So disillusioned was he with the frequent studio interference that he has point blank refused to have anything to do with the franchise since making this film. And those conflicts don't half show. Alien 3 is a confused mess that can't decide whether it wants to be more like the first or second instalment in the franchise. It's understandable, as both of those films are outstanding masterpieces, but they're so wildly different in tone that attempting to combine the claustrophobic corridors of the original with the explosive action of the sequel means that both lose their impact considerably. Following the events of Aliens, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) awakens on a prison ship, populated entirely by males with a history of violent or sexual crimes (frequently both). Unfortunately, she's also bought a visitor with her and it ain't Newt. Now, if you've heard the stories of how awful a film Alien 3 is, then you've probably got a bit of an advantage, because it isn't anywhere near as bad a film as it's made out to be. There are still enjoyable elements, some solid performances and an interesting angle on where the alien has chosen to plant it's eggs. Unfortunately though, most of the best stuff doesn't remotely involve the alien, who, despite it's place as the title creature, is heavily sidelined until quite far into the film. Instead, we get the relationship between Ripley and the prisoners, which has it's moments (Charles Dance and Charles S. Dutton are both decent), but isn't really why we're watching the film. The alien scenes themselves also lack the energy that they previously had, with a key reason being the use of music. In this department, it's pretty amateurish, peppering the tense scenes with an overly epic score which destroys any sense of fear. It might have been the studio interference, but I'm open to the idea that it could also be Fincher, as it's an issue that's also present in his next two films (though less so in Seven). The script is also fairly uneven, going long stretches without a whole lot happening, only to then rush some of the big events, including a scene with a "returning" character that feels about as tacked on as it gets. Much like Prometheus, Alien 3 is a film that it's hard to sound positive about, because while it may stand as a decent film on it's own, it simply isn't good enough for this franchise. If you go in expecting something terrible, you may be pleasantly surprised, because Alien VS Predator this is not. On the other hand, if you feel like blitzing through the whole franchise in one sitting, you'll be watching Aliens directly before this. That won't end well for you.

THREE out of five

However, a David Fincher marathon results in following Alien 3 with this and that will end well for you. I'm willing to wager that you could take a handful of people who have seen Seven and a high proportion of those will people will cite it as one of the best crime thrillers ever made. That's an accolade that you won't ever hear me arguing against. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are two homicide detectives, whose individual cases cross paths when they discover they were committed by the same person, punishing people for their commitment of the seven deadly sins. From the opening credits, this film sets itself up as one imbued with creepiness and misery. Unsettling imagery flashes before our eyes, while a remixed version of Nine Inch Nails' Closer takes an already dark song and makes it sound even grimmer. This all leads us into a room with the bloated corpse of a man who has literally been forced to eat until he bursts internally. This already isn't a film that wants you to leave with feelings of warmth and happiness and it only gets worse as it goes along. The brilliance though, is in how it handles this. First off, it shows you nothing of these horrific acts being committed and leaves your imagination to do the work as you only see the aftermath. Those images are graphic enough and removing the actual scenes of the murders occurring prevent this from becoming too exploitative. Also, the film is willing to give you a bit of a break and let you get to know the two detectives. Though both are staunchly dedicated to tracking down the killer, they have personalities outside of their objective and we are shown just enough of these to add the vital third dimension to both characters. Seven, however, is a film that's mostly remembered for the performance of the film's killer. I assume you know who it is, but I'm still not going to spoil it because it always annoys me that I knew who played it before I watched it. Suffice to say, it's one of the most chilling performances you will ever see. I've seen the argument that the film borders on celebratory, with the way in which it treats the killer's actions and motives, but I don't see it that way. This is a person who is convinced of a higher purpose that fuels his horrible actions and the only celebration is the one he's bestowing upon himself. If you feel some relation to his motive, that's acceptable and the film allows you to do that, but not once does this film justify how he is carrying out his mission and if anyone feels any sense of justification, I'm questioning their own grasp on sanity. Everything in this film leads to one of the most bleak, gut-punch endings I have ever seen and it's one that can perhaps feel a bit abrupt at first, but it's genius becomes apparent with later thought. Seven is a film that I'm not quite sure has entered fully fledged classic territory yet, but I don't have a problem if people want to call it that.

FIVE out of five

I started this post under the impression that I had already seen every David Fincher film, but, so rarely talked about is The Game, that I had completely forgotten about it's existence. It didn't take long for me to work out why it is that no one talks about it. Michael Douglas plays Nicholas Van Orton, a successful banker, whose great riches have come as a result of his entirely non-existent life outside of his job. When his estranged brother (Sean Penn) comes to visit him on his birthday, he presents him with an unusual gift: the number for a company who will provide him with a life-changing game. All he has to do is call them. With curiosity flaying the cat before our very eyes, Douglas' intrigue gets the better of him and the mysterious game begins. This is a film that thinks it's far more intelligent than it actually is. It's numerous twists and turns are all there in attempts to dupe the audience, but these are utterly transparent. The only doubt you will have in your mind is whether or not it's actually going to bring this together coherently and your lack of faith in that possibility will be entirely justified by the lousy ending. A bad ending is never a good thing, but if the ride there is any good, you'll have some leniency towards it and that isn't the case here. First off, the character of Van Orton is the miserly business man personified. Quite honestly, you could have called him Ebenezer Van Orton and I'd have at least respected the fact that you weren't trying to hide the lack of originality. His path is supposed to be incredibly similar to that of Scrooge, but the handling of this is clumsy at best. All of a sudden, his character changes, or the perception towards him changes, but there's nothing there to give you the remotest idea why. That's not just down to the sloppy script, it's also down to Douglas' performance, as the development jerks from each stage to the next, as though he's decided his mood for each scene, but forgotten to show the path there. This makes him deeply unlikeable, which doesn't matter at the start. By the end though, the film wants you to at least understand him and it's failed there. The scenes within the game aren't particularly clever either, except for a promising start as the game begins in what is the film's sole scene that's memorable for the right reasons. From here though, it just descends into multiple chase scenes (all of which you've seen before), frequent talks of a conspiracy and the introduction of Deborah Kara Unger in the obligatory female part. Then, just when the film should be going for the big reveal, they completely lose their mind and send the film off to places where there can never be any coming back from. Even with the few films that were merely good, I always thought I could say that Fincher had never made a truly bad film. Watching this made me realise that it really is true: no director gets off with a clean sheet.

ONE out of five

What a comeback, though! I didn't really feel as though I would need to explain what a great film Fight Club is, or why it is that it's practically the definition of a cult classic. Then, someone I work with had never even heard of it. Once I'd dropped the "YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF FIGHT CLUB!" face, I attempted to explain to them why they needed to watch this film. They decided it wasn't for them. Their loss. Fight Club is a film that you may have preconceptions about. You may think you know what it is and what it's all about, but I guarantee (unless, of course, you've read the book) you don't have a clue what this film is. That's not my way of guaranteeing that you will love it as much as I do, because there are people out there that don't, but if you have the remotest interest in film, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Edward Norton plays an insomniac office worker, who spends his time attending support groups for diseases that he doesn't have, in search of a release from his own condition. His path crosses with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), the personification of the rebel that Norton wishes he could be. Through their own hatred of the consumerist that nation that surrounds them, fight club forms as their own two fingers to the society they despise. To say anymore would be to provide you with more information than I had the first time I watched this film and as the rule states: you don't talk about Fight Club. There is, however, one thing that you have to be ready for and that, simply, is controversial subject matter. In the wake of Fincher's more recent awards season pleasing efforts, it can be easy to forget the rebellious side within him, but he and writer Chuck Palahniuk did attract a bit of ire when this one came out. The actions of a lot of our supposed protagonists here make The Wolf Of Wall Street's Jordan Belfort look like a saint in comparison and if you're quick to fly the amoral flag, then stay away and get off your high horse. I draw you back to my comments about the way Seven deals with it's killer. It is entirely OK to feel a relation towards the character's cause, without condoning the actions they take. This film isn't here to hold your hand and tell you how you should be feeling. It's here to make you question yourself and your place in this world. Grand aspirations, maybe, but it achieves them fairly well. Fight Club is the best of both worlds. You can analyse it to death, or you can just go along for the ride. Either way, it's a film that you should discover without me telling you everything about it.

FIVE out of five

There's been a number of recent thrillers or horror films which place their character(s) into a claustrophobic situation and stay within that setting for the entirety. The absolute apex for me is Buried, which is one of the most draining films I've ever seen, but is also quite brilliant. There's been a natural progression though, as filmmakers see just how small or desolate a space they dare to limit themselves to. Panic Room comes nearer the start of this, as Fincher puts the focus of the action on that one particular room, but also gives himself a full (and considerably large) house to fall back on. Jodie Foster is recently divorced Meg, who buys said large house, in which she lives with her young daughter (Kristen Stewart, before everyone took against her). When three men break into the house, she heads straight for the panic room, only to find that what the men want is actually inside the room. With the action taking place entirely within the home, a lot hinges on the performances and they're mostly fine. Foster and Stewart are both brilliant and carve a brilliant mother-daughter relationship that's helps in creating that necessary empathy towards them. The three thieves are more of a mixed bag. Forest Whitaker is always good, but this feels like a role he's played a lot of times before. Though he plays the character's internal conflict pretty well, the script doesn't develop it enough to make it anything new. Then there's Jared Leto, who's also fairly solid, but just doesn't have that spark to take the performance anywhere beyond that. Finally, Dwight Yoakam is less good. Outside of his music, Yoakam has made his career playing psychopaths, but anything I've seen him is crying out for a bit of restraint. It's no different here. His non compos mentis performance is OK when it's tempered by the presence of Whitaker at the opposite end of the spectrum, but eventually even he can't stop Yoakam from overcoming things and it all gets too cartoonish for it's own good. Panic Room works best when it keeps itself focussed on that room, but loses it's way a bit as it drifts out of there. The film is shot brilliantly and Fincher's direction is tense, yet pacey, but this is squandered in an ending that just doesn't show that same level of control.

THREE out of five

Part 2 - 25th March