What's the point?

That's the question Fight Club challenges you with. Why bother working within the system? Work to live, live to work. Work to buy this gadget, work to buy the next gadget. Run up debt, pay down debt. Procreate and die, and the cycle continues, spitting you out and continuing its slow, soul-gnawing process on your kin.

An intoxicating mind bender of a film, Fight Club dares to challenge all you hold dear. You might want to take part in the never ending cycle of materialistic slavery, Tyler Durden sure as hell isn't. He's going to live for the moment, live to feel the blood on his knuckles as he cracks his fist across the your face, live for the rush he feels as he holds a loaded gun to the back of your head. In a society that neuters the male animal instinct, Tyler Durden is going to unabashedly feel the testosterone run through his veins, behave however he damn well pleases and refuse to be tamed by your rules. He has his own rules, the rules of Fight Club.

When other men see this, they want in too. Charismatic and out to pimp slap society across the face, Tyler and his followers, the secret, growing society of guys who find their only true release in a ritual called Fight Club, are determined to WAKE YOU UP.

Fight Club is powered by possibly the finest performances in the young careers of two of Hollywood's best actors, Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Pitt especially stands out, bringing the almost otherworldy figure of Tyler to life. Pitt may be the ultimate pretty boy, but as Tyler he's also the ultimate man's man. It's a compelling combination, and one that Pitt probably deserved some kind of Oscar recognition for.

Norton, as the burnt out narrator, is actually the central character in the film, his dull life interrupted and commondeered by Durden. We experience the film as Norton's character, our path forever altered by this ingenious madman Durden, that madness breathing life into our otherwise inconsequental existence. At the start of the picture, Norton brings an apathetic drearyness to the part that works in stark contrast to Durden's wide awake liveliness just as his pasty-skinned, baggy-eyed appearance contrasts with Pitt's perfect tan and fashion model style. As the film progresses, Norton nails the character's awakening and discovery of purpose perfectly.

While the dead-on performances of Pitt and Norton are the centerpiece of this masterful film, they are this good not only of their own talent and skill, but because they are working with an uncommonly smart script and clever direction on the part of David Fincher. Helena Bonham Carter, as the sultry, enigmatic bitch Marla Singer, also must not be overlooked for providing the film with a perfect masagonism-fueling object of hatred and desire. The music, the photography and the editing of the film are also remarkable, as are the strong supporting performances of Meat Loaf and Jared Leto. I could go on, but you get it -- this entire malatov cocktail of a film mixes together splendidly.

So what's my point? If you haven't already, find a way to see Fight Club as soon as you can, because it is as brilliant and entertaining as any recent film. And it might even make you think a bit.

RATING: 5/5 Stars

- Chris Kivlehan