FauxNixon

The Game (1997) – The Game slipped under the radars of many appreciators of movies.  It is a very good thriller from Fincher in which Nicolas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a propserous San Fransisco investment banker receives a gift from his screw-up brother Conrad Van Orton (Sean Penn) along with generic instructions to call a number listed for more information.  What follows is a twisting storyline that weaves very delicate plot layers into a complex and thoroughly enjoyable web.  Nicolas must find out the meaning of the game in order for it to end.  He attempts to continue his life with the nearest thing he has to a friend in his attorney Sam Sutherland (played by Peter Donat), but is unable to do so and is pushed by events orchestrated by this game into an ending that was a definite surprise for me–though with so many twists I had actually stopped even trying to guess what was going on.

The visual style and effects in this movie are a bit understated when compared to Fight Club, Panic Room, and Se7en but they are present in just the right amounts where they accentuate the story-telling and plot without becoming a distraction because of overuse or because of absence.  In many ways this is a classic retelling the story of a very wealthy man whose life has no other purpose than the acquisition of wealth who is shown that there is more to life than work, including family, friends, and fun.  It is especially enjoyable upon the first viewing while all of the surprises are still a mystery, but it also works on repeat viewings.  A great, great movie.