A game of two halves (The Game (DVD))

Member Name: Andwynn

Product:	The Game (DVD)
Date:	02/07/00 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: very good plot, well acted

Disadvantages: appears dull and predictable at times

Within the first few minutes you are introduced to
Nicholas (Michael Douglas), a very wealthy
investment banker, who has just reached his
48th birthday - the same age as his father
was when he killed himself by throwing himself
off the roof of his beautiful mansion-style
house.

Nicholas is sombre, aloof, professional - and
apparently not very happy. His ex-wife is
remarried and about to have another child,
his younger brother is estranged and troubled,
and all he has is his work. Until ...

Conrad, his brother, reappears to wish him a
happy birthday and to give him his present -
an appointment with a mysterious company who
will arrange and run 'a game' for him. No
details are, or can be, given about what form
this game will take, other than it's tailored
to each individual. Needless to say, he
takes up the invitation after some "umming
and ahhing" (or else there wouldn't be much
of a film).

Then Conrad reappears in a very distressed and
agitated state, emitting paranoia with every
word he says, with a "thank god I didn't get
you involved with them". Then things start
to get very strange.

All in all, I spent a lot of the film feeling
bored and thinking I knew what was happening.
It was only after the film had ended that I
realised that I had actually enjoyed it a lot
more than I thought I was doing at the time.
I strongly recommend that if anyone starts
watching it and finds it dull, it really is
worthwhile carrying on right till the end.

Summary: