Monday Matinee: An Ode to David Fincher - Part II

I'm back this week with more Fincher love, a continuation from last week, where I provided a little bio and my #9 through #7 rankings of his movies.

Before I get into my #6 through #4 movies, I'll offer a little gossip, if you will, about Fincher's future projects.  There has been talk that he is extremely interested in remaking "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" for Disney, possibly starring his favorite little actor Brad Pitt.  (More on Pitt next week...heh heh.)  However, the movie seems to be in a state of almost-happening.  It seems that Disney is questioning the marketability of such a film after the box office failure of "John Carter".  Fincher has also been rumored to have been sniffing around the idea of directing "Gone Girl".  Now THAT is something to get excited about!  So, moving on...

#6:  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Starring:  Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer

Nominated for five Oscars, and winning one (Best Editing).  At the Golden Globes, it was nominated for two awards.

I was the first to question this remake, especially since the Swedish version was so stunning.  It ended up being a solid movie, although it felt jerky and manic to me, and hard to follow.  I also wasn't thrilled about Fincher messing with some of the more important facts of the book.  On the flip side, it was visually stunning and well-acted.  And that opening sequence...wow.

#5:  The Game (1997)

Starring:  Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger

This is one of the movies I had to re-watch, as it had been probably 12 years since I'd seen it.  I did remember how it COMPLETELY messed with my head though, and I need to verify if it still had that power.  The story is about a man jaded by wealth, alienated from his wife and brother, and haunted by the suicide of his father when he was just a boy.  For his birthday, his aforementioned brother gives him the gift of an "experience", or a game of sorts.  All he needs to do is contact a company called CRS to schedule his evaluation.  Soon, bizarre things start to happen, and the man assumes this is all part of the game.  But then an attempt is made on his life, his billions of dollars disappear, and he is left wondering...is this part of the game?  Has he been scammed?  Or is he crazy?  The watcher will wonder right along with him, and will keep you guessing right to the end.  A real mind-screw of the best kind.

#4:  The Social Network (2010)

Starring:  Jesse Eisenberg, Rooney Mara, Andrew Garfield

Nominated for three Oscars, and won three (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Score).    At the Golden Globes, it won Best Motion Pictured - Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score.

Well the awards don't lie.  This was a compelling story about the birth of Facebook, based on a book by Ben Mezrich called "The Accidental Millionaires".  We all know that Zuckerberg is an enigma, but having it all laid out in front of us with smart, snappy dialogue, fast pace and edgy soundtrack helped to drive home the nature of his success.  There was a lot of squawking about the validity of the film's facts, but whatever.  It was highly entertaining, and supremely acted.  Although this film was not as dark as Fincher is capable of providing, he certainly does obsession with a flair and delivered it up on a silver platter here.

Next week, I'll bring you my three favorite David Fincher movies.  Hint:  They all star Brad Pitt.