Customer Reviews

The Game (Widescreen/Full Screen)

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Less than a full year before A PERFECT MURDER (1998) was released, Michael Douglas starred in THE GAME (1997), which is not simply a Michael Douglas movie, it's a David Fincher film-and you know what that means! From a screenplay by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris, THE GAME is classic Fincher: dark, mysterious and with a constant sense of brooding danger in which lets you know that somehow, somewhere, something is not quite kosher.

In THE GAME, Douglas is Nicholas Van Orton; a man of great wealth and power and totally devoid of any human compassion (as evidenced by the cold and callous way in which he fires a longtime employee). If this sounds like Gordon Gekko to you, it's because Michael Douglas, at this stage in his career, plays cold callousness like no one else. Call it typecasting; I call it brilliant acting ability and being smart enough to stick with what works. However, Gordon Gekko in the legendary Oliver Stone-directed WALL STREET (1987) didn't have a younger brother; Nicholas Van Orton does. On Nick's 48th birthday (the same age at which his father died, hint hint), his black-sheep-of-the-family brother Conrad, as brilliantly played by Sean Penn, visits him in his sprawling, cherry-wood office and hands his older sibling his birthday present: a business card with the name Consumer Recreation Services (CRS) on it. "What is this," Nicholas cynically asks. The sly answer given by Penn is one of my favorite lines in the film, and one that tells us that his elder bro's life will never be the same, once he begins to play THE GAME.

Along the way, Nicholas Van Orton encounters CRS and its primary spokesman (or so he thinks) Jim Feingold (played with disarming confidence by character actor James Rebhorn), a mouthy cocktail waitress (Deborah Kara Unger) who seems to hold the secret to THE GAME, and a spooky-looking full-size inanimate clown who appears to watch everything he does. Also along the way are near-brushes with death that culminate with Conrad Van Orton's tearful admission that he "didn't know what the $#@! he had gotten them into" when he had signed his brother up for THE GAME. But that's still just the beginning...

Everyone is superbly cast in this film, including BABY DOLL (1956) herself, Carroll Baker, and the always-watchable Armin Mueller-Stahl. But the real star here is David Fincher; he is so adept at guiding us down a labyrinthic path of which only he knows the end, that all we can do is hang on and enjoy the rollercoaster ride on which he breathlessly takes us. He primarily relies on small, subtle signs of foreboding to generate suspense, as opposed to full-blown violence and gore. Although this is one of those films that relies on first-time viewers' lack of knowledge of what to expect, and thusly loses something on repeated viewings, it is still a very good film to re-visit on occasion, if only to experience Fincher's unique style (this film and A PERFECT MURDER are miles apart in this respect, believe me), Douglas and Penn's acting and the production values, which are first-rate.

See and experience THE GAME for yourself.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

In a world where movies are either trying too hard, or not trying hard enough, The Game fills the void that has been missing in Hollywood. First rate thriller, filmed in dark tones and with a foreboding sense of doom, about half way through the movie you realize the dark wet city is another character and that's when things really gather speed. Unbelievably well acted by Michael Douglas, there are enough twists and turns to confuse, but not enough to make you give up on trying to figure out what is real and what is a game.

in "The Game,Michael Douglas Plays Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy,and
lonely banker.Nicholas's birthday comes around,and he is spending it
alone as usual.However,his long lost brother Conrad(Sean Penn)returns
and has a birthday gift for him-a card giving him access to a live
action game,which will add some adventure to his lonely existence.
Nicholas is dead set against going to the address listed on the
card,but eventually relents.he signs up for "The Game" and his life is
forever altered.weird and bizarre occurrences start to happen and
Nicholas can no longer tell "The Game" from reality.tragedy occurs and
Nicholas begins to lose his tenuous grip on sanity.to say anything else
would give too much away.let's just say the film is suspenseful,action
packed and filled with twists and turns that will keep you
guessing.very well made film.more than worth the time. 4/5

Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) thinks that he has everything - this is true only is we consider material possessions (a vast house, millions of dollars, an enviable reputation, etc.). What he is lacking is the access to the sacred and to his true Self. CRS is there to help, courtesy of his brother Conrad (Penn). But Van Orton will have to get rid of all that he previously stood for and accept to lose himself in the unknown. While some viewers have objected to the film's outrageous events and progression, this is precisely what draws me to it: its willingness to dispense with 'believable' developments makes Van Orton's quest all the more powerful. The movie could have been subtitled 'The initiation of a millionaire', because Van Orton undergoes numerous archetypal trials: he is stuck in a car underwater (in the belly of the monster); he is buried alive; his descensus ad infernos is such that he (literally) has to make a death-defying jump in a garbage dump; he has to find his way through mazes and use secret keys; most scenes take place in darkness. By the time he becomes a new man late in the movie, he has already died three or four times! Perceptive viewers will discover far more than a strandard thriller here, if they allow themselves to dig under the surface... a remarkable film.

Can you imagen a movie with no victims and yet it's one of the best thrillers ever made?! When I heard that director is David Fincher who is responsible for hits such as Seven or Fight Club and that Michael Douglas has leading role, that was more than enough for me to buy it. And I didn't regret it: This film is one wild ride through every aspect of your mind. Just in the moment you think - It's all clear now, next one will leave you with your mouths open. Every scene is one big surprice for you and for main character Nicholas, who is cold rich businessman, who cutted all bonds between him and his family and friends just for power and more money. But his brother's present for his birthday will change everything. One moment, he's on the top of the world, next one he is down in rags, fearing for his life; confused and with no confidence in anyone. That is the price when you are in The Game. Michael prooved that he worths dozen Oscars and Sean Penn is also very good. If you like fast, confusing and surpricing thrillers, this is a movie for you. Note: Ending is unforgetable!!!

This was a great movie with an excellent story to go with it. It's too bad the dvd shares the same fate of others with weak features and no behind the scenes or commentary. This is one dvd that deserves an overhaul like the one that panic room received.

This is a fascinating movie; of course, it's necessary to accept the extremely unreal premise of a wealthy and privileged multi-millionaire going along with a "game?that takes everything away form him, but once that is accepted, it's very entertaining.

In fact, I would say that the movie follows the "hero's journey?of mythology. An individual has his life completely transformed as he is stripped of everything and forced to confront a world where nothing is certain and everything is turned upside down. Nicholas Van Orton is a successful investment banker whose life is perfectly ordered. Then his brother gives him a "gift??a game that will throw him into a nightmare world. Small things become symbolic: at one point, the impeccably dressed executive loses his thousand dollar shoes, which are pulled from his feet. The man who wears $3,000 suits and $200 ties is now barefoot. He is symbolically stripped of his staus and freedom as well: In the ancient world, only slaves went barefoot, as a symbol of their status. The banker, once arrogant and well-dressed, is now the barefoot slave of the Game.

I was suspicious of the theme of theme of the humiliation of the "cold-hearted white male businessman? which is endlessly repeated in films, but this movie was different, and I did enjoy it.

"The Game" is Michael Douglas at his finest in his portrayal as a Type A workaholic at the top of his game.

His somewhat underachieving brother, portrayed by Sean Penn, gives Douglas a birthday gift in the form of a "game" where reality takes a dive and Douglas' life goes into a spin. Although there were a few areas that were a little hard to follow - the premise of this reality game is so imaginative and real. It is only when Douglas hits rock bottom that he realizes how isolated from the real world he has become and what is truly important in life.

I thought this movie was insightful and masterful. I watch it frequently and it always delivers a powerful message.

Nicholas Van Orton ( Michael Douglas) is an extremely wealthy San Francisco banker who owns everything he could possibly want. Unfortunately, he is also extremely lonely, because he has no one to share it with. Nicholas is turning 48, and his strange and eccentric brother Conrad ( Sean Penn)wants to give Nicholas the perfect gift for his birthday. Conrad gives him an invitation to a company called Consumer Recreation Services, that specializes in creating games that are designed specifically for the participant. Unable to resist, Nicholas decides to go through with it. However, soon after Nicholas signs up, very strange and horrible things start to happen to him, which leads Nicholas to believe that the game he is involved in, will have him playing for his life.

"The Game" is without a doubt one of the most thrilling and suspenseful films I have ever seen. I was literally drawn into the film from beginning to end. Nothing is what it seems in this film. The end is perhaps the film's best feature because it is completely unpredictable. There are so many twists and turns, that the movie may appear confusing at times. But if you are willing to give the concentration and patience that is needed, watching The Game can be a very rewarding experience. Michael Douglas is an amazing actor, and it shows in this film. You legitimately come to feel for his character, because of how well he portrays the character breaking down. Watching Michael Douglas's character lose control of his life is frightening and somewhat amusing as well. Sean Penn, Deborah Unger, and the rest of the cast all do a great job as well.

Overall, "The Game" is probably one of the best psychological thrillers ever made. The film is unpredictable and suspenseful from beginning to end, and the performances given from Michael Douglas and company could not have been better. My only advice with this film is that you be willing to pay attention and concentrate on what is going on. This is a film that you need to use your mind when watching.

Last night I was surfing the channels trying to find something entertaining and found "The Game".....What I was immediately struck by was Douglas' close resemblance to his character in "Wall Street'....but in this film his personality, if you want to call it that, is much more restrained.
Stated simply, his life is essentially a boring repetition of getting up in the morning, eating breakfast in the kitchen with Elsa, his housekeeper, portrayed by Carol Baker, and going to work.....Enter his brother 'Connie', portrayed by Sean Penn, who introduces him to 'CRS'.....as a birthday gift....He is at home one night and decides that perhaps watching the stock market report is not challenging him anymore so the next day he heads to CRS....
The first thing I noted was despite his retrained personality, he allowed a group of people who he only knew as "CRS" to take him apart, psychologically and physically (they did allot of testing e.g. treadmill etc.)....he allowed this to happen even tho he could not find out what was the essence of 'the game'....I am adventurous but NOT to the point where I would allow that to happen....frankly find it hard to believe that an investment banker would just accept this kind of thing.
His adventures, as he gets further and further into 'the game', are what intrigued me. I will not state what the end was like because I feel it rude to do that.....However, I will say that it was refreshing to watch this all unfold.....

"White Rabbit" was the theme song thru most of the film.....I think whoever selected that song was right on target because Alice suffered the same consequences when her curiosity got the best of her.......