because you can't have too much entertainment... October 1999

Marital Bliss / Discord
The Story of Us Starring: The goddess Michelle Pfeiffer. Bruce Willis is in it too.
Fight Club Dir: David Fincher Starring: Brad Pitt, Ed Norton & Helena Bonham Carter

Disclaimer (4/20/02): This is perhaps my strangest review because I feel much differently about both films after second viewings. I think this has something to do with the Pfeiffer apoplexy I was going through at the time ---which is explained in more detail here and my still conflicted feelings about David Fincher's work.

Before things got ugly -there was quite a honeymoon. My long term relationship with two favorite actors was just re-consummated as both The Story of Us and Fight Club opened this weekend. My adventure in wedded bliss/discord began with a moment of apoplexy...

There I was outside the Ziegfeld theater all set to see The Story of Us It was my very first world premiere, coinciding happily with the yearlong return of movie goddess Michelle Pfeiffer (before she disappears into semi-retirement, at which point there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from me -but that¹s another story -back to the honeymoon.) I was gleefully expectant as I¹d heard the buzz on the film but I had no idea that my favorite living actress would grace us with her presence. And I have no idea how to explain to you the impact of seeing her in the flesh. The camera adds nothing. The woman is flawless. She was, I lie not, literally GLOWING. She is a goddess. I believe! I was just 15 feet away and for about 20 seconds I felt removed from this earth. I¹m still coming down days later at the memory of it. But, befitting my Gemini nature, things never run consistently or steadily on their course. Marital bliss was temporarily disrupted as they told the 200 or so civilians gathered that the studio had overbooked and we would not be seeing the picture that night. We left for home a little dejected but still high as a kite from the visitation.

Days later we saw a special screening for those turned away at the premiere. I knew the honeymoon was over when the film began (and largely remained) slightly out of focus. I just love those hard working film projectionists in movie theaters, don¹t you? The film concerns my 15 year obsession with Michelle...um...No sorry that¹s wrong. It concerns her 15 year romance (on the rocks) with movie husband Bruce Willis, and though its far from a perfect film it¹s miles above most romantic comedies and it's refreshingly adult. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a romantic comedy/drama about any couple other than one who¹s just met? It¹s well written and of course terrifically played by Willis (on a career roll / even peak this year) & the always magnificent but seldom used to full advantage Pfeiffer. I can smell Michelle¹s fourth Oscar nomination should the movie hit.

My relationship with Brad Pitt is a little shakier. I adore the guy and consider him to be our most underrated actor. But I had problems with this vehicle. It concerns Brad¹s sudden and symbiotic (in more ways than one) relationship with Edward Norton and a plethora of other things like spiritual malaise, violence, self destruction as religion, personal hygiene, squatting, addiction, fascism, consumer culture, Brad¹s hiney, or as the tagline puts it ³Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.² Its a lot of ground to cover and for I¹d say about the first hour I was so there for the ride. Eating it up. laughing. Thinking ŒBest Film of the Year' and then suddenly kerplooey -I felt betrayed, once again, by director David Fincher -who I have a complicated love/hate relationship with. Here¹s how it goes with me. Fincher made three of Madonna¹s best videos. And you all know how I feel about her. Then he jumped on the Ripley train to direct the worst (but still interesting) installment of the Alien saga, Alien 3. He then made the legendary Se7en which, imho, is a great great film. Then he lost his nerve and The Game devolved from a disturbing twisted thriller to a bad joke...which I¹m afraid is a problem with Fight Club as well. Not that the jokes are bad. The film is very funny. It¹s just that once it¹s alive and kicking it goes off in directions that I would applaud for their unexpectedness if they hadn¹t so thoroughly undermined and derailed the brilliance of the first and better half of the film. Or maybe its just that, despite my Gemini nature, I have issues with inconsistencies in a relationship. Michelle you can always count on. Brad you can mostly count on. But David Fincher is perhaps not long term relationship material.

-Nathaniel

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