Director Fincher, Douglas fail to make 'Game' a winner

"The Game" is the new thriller from director David Fincher that, according to the trailers, promises lots of action and heart-pounding suspense.

Unfortunately for those audience members who are expecting some brainless fun, the dark and multi-layered film will prove to be more of a disappointment than a triumph.

Fincher ("Seven") tries to exploit all the components of a psychological thriller.

It is clear that "The Game" is the work of a talented director, with the lush, complex sequences and ingenious camera shots.

REVIEW
	The Game At Briarwood and Showcase

Fincher is an expert at creating a haunting setting; the result is the feeling that Douglas is trapped in a horrifically warped Fun House. His attempted manipulation of reality has the potential to make "The Game" an incredible movie, but the film's slow, cautious pace, the refusal to adhere to plausibility and the misplacement of audience expectations condemns it to mediocrity.

Douglas plays millionaire Nicholas Van Orton, who has spent a lifetime building up his fortune and his reputation of being a really arrogant jerk. Douglas has shown great prowess at playing the victim whose life is shattered ("Fatal Attraction," "Falling Down"), but his performance in "The Game" does not come across as particularly outstanding.

For a man who is used to having absolute control over everything, he suddenly realizes how little he now controls anything, as he can't tell where the game ends and where real life begins.

The game soon turns sinister: Nicholas dodges bullets; someone breaks into his house; he discovers that someone is out to steal millions of dollars from him. But while Nicholas wants out from this nightmare, he can not escape an entity that he can't see.

The creepiness that is imperative to the movie doesn't set in until halfway through the film. The first third of "The Game" is devoted to showing what an egotistical man Nicholas is and detailing key elements of his past.

These scenes are necessary to the psychological effect of the movie. Still, though, some people may feel that it is the ultimate test of patience.

After audiences are well-acquainted with Nicholas' character, they are finally immersed in the world of the game.

Fincher does an excellent job showing the psychological turmoil of the man's participation in the game. The further Nicholas goes, the more the lines between reality and the role-playing are blurred. While these scenes are darkly subversive and interesting, they are too few and far apart too satisfy the expectations of the audience.

Furthermore, while audiences are prepared to suspend reality to enjoy this movie, the film goes beyond unbelievability. It is hard to imagine that one company can predict a person's actions so perfectly, or be able to manipulate a person's entire surroundings, but this is what happens to Douglas' character.

This implausibility becomes blatant and is impossible to ignore, detracting from a viewer's enjoyment of the film.

On the upside, Sean Penn astounds with his performance as Nick's underachieving brother, and he is the highlight of "The Game."

The actor further shows his acting range with unforgettable quirkiness and style to stealing the show from Douglas.

Penn, however, is only in a limited number of scenes in the movie. But whenever he is on-screen, his presence is definitely felt and appreciated.

Perhaps "The Game" wouldn't be so disappointing if it hadn't been promoted as a suspense thriller.

While it has some elements of this genre, it is more of a darkly psychological drama that dissects the human psyche.

With an amazing director who knows what he's doing, "The Game" would be better off being approached as a masterpiece in human exploration and the ultimate mindscrew, rather than a anti-climactic action movie.
Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas, top) gets drawn into a mysterious game when his brother Conrad (Sean Penn, bottom) gives him a gift certificate for his 48th birthday.

09-15-97