I’m not going to apologize for the ending or try to explain it away. Normally, this kind of turn would bother me a lot, because the film is leading towards a solution and when you get there it can ruin the ride. With The Game, the ride isn’t just better than the destination, it’s one of the greatest rides ever put together. For two hours you are locked in its grip. Whether in the theater or at home, you become unaware of the person sitting next to you. Thrillers usually aim to make audiences yelp and make comments on the action. The Game unleashes a whole deck of card tricks, and you don’t want your attention to be distracted. The film has many turns and they’re ALL interesting, surprising and intelligent. Even with whatever you know going in, you still only know a fraction. I spent the entire time thinking, “now what? … Now What? … Now What!?!”
Michael Douglas plays one of his most cold-hearted and controlling businessman who becomes the victim of The Game’s elaborate series of jokes and schemes. Because the character isn’t likable we don’t feel bad when bad things start happening. Douglas than takes the character and humanizes him, so we do start to feel sorry for him before long, and he does this without dropping the cold calculator from the beginning of the film. Douglas keeps thinking and sorting through the puzzles. You feel like he’s just waiting for his moment to strike back.
David Fincher keeps you hooked through an unrelenting feeling of paranoia. There are random encounters, chance meetings and innocent bystanders. You constantly wonder who is in on the Game and who isn’t. The movie is always able to keep you guessing. The film’s look is sleek, the editing sharp and the pace is just enough to keep things moving without feeling rushed. When that final card is played it’s a bit of a disappointment, but impressively enough most of the pieces fit.
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