February 2, 1997

The Game (1997) **

Many of Michael Douglas' previous films were misogynist ("Disclosure"), homophobic ("Basic Instinct") or even fascistic ("Falling Down"), but at least they were saying something and had a strong, ideological point-of-view. This movie is politically-correct, but completely empty and devoid of any message, good or bad. It's a pure stylistic exercise. The game in question involves a billionaire (Douglas), his brother (Penn) and a mysterious company called CRS (Consumer Recreation Services). There is no suspense, because we know that everything that happens is part of the game (otherwise, the movie wouldn't make any sense).