By Geno McGahee
The 1990s wasn’t a particularly good time for films, but there were a few that stood out. In the late nineties, CGI-powered disaster films were the thing and most people were flocking to see the world blow up or the Titanic sink on the big screen. In 1997, THE GAME was released and it was just a very smart thriller that maintains an aura of mystery that is very compelling. It’s one of those “what the hell is going on” sorts of movies with an incredible pace and cast. They did everything right.
It was written by the team of John Brancato and Michael Ferris, known for their work on THE NET and TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES (A very underrated film) and I won’t hold them accountable for CATWOMAN. We all have bad days. This duo had the right style to make this sort of film. THE NET was similar in approach, but this film was just so much better. David Fincher directed THE GAME, and his credits involve SE7EN and PANIC ROOM. So, the team behind this film is actually very good and they did a great job in bringing this image forward. Fincher brought out some of the best Douglas overacting seen in years!
Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is very wealthy but he’s unhappy. He is haunted by his father’s suicide and his birthday is right around the corner. He’s turning 48, which was the age his father was when he leapt to his death. Van Orton has separated himself from most people, including his ex-wife and estranged brother, Conrad (Sean Penn). Thoughts of suicide enter his brain and he remains cold to mostly everyone. When he goes out to eat, Conrad shows up and it’s not a warm meeting, but considering it’s his big brother’s birthday, he comes with a gift. CRS is a company that offers a game. They are vague, but Nicholas is compelled. He agrees to go along with it and the game begins…even though he’s not sure exactly what it entails.
A large clown doll is found on the pavement where his father committed suicide. Inside the clown’s mouth, there is a key, but there are no instructions where it goes. The news anchor breaks his broadcast and starts directly to Nicholas, proving the power of this group. When he goes out to eat, a waitress, Christine (Deborah Kara Unger), spills a tray of wine on him and it soon turns out that she is part of this game.
Conrad returns and starts immediately regretting signing his brother up for this game and all hell begins to break loose as masked men shoot up the houses where Nicholas is, the cops chase both him and Christine down, and CRS starts to be exposed as a company that bullies and murders wealthy people, robbing their fortune.
Nicholas goes through more chaos and discovers that one of the workers at CRS is actually an actor that he recognizes from a TV ad. Jim Feingold (James Rebhorn) is at the zoo with his family when Nicholas confronts him with a gun and forces him to show him where CRS had relocated. The mystery starts to unravel and there are plenty of surprises as this game is exposed.
THE GAME is an amazing movie. Douglas was fantastic in the role and he plays off of Kara Unger incredibly well. Kara Unger’s toughness and grit that she always displays in her roles works very well here. She is likable but mysterious and difficult to read. Sean Penn, although in a somewhat minor role, shines brightly and brings his overdramatic approach to the character. Another notable is James Rebhorn. He’s always great and he is likable here. He usually plays the likable wimp and he does that here and he’s great fun.
I highly recommend the game. The 2 hour running time flew by and it does keep you on the edge of your seat.
Rating: 9/10
