MFC9

A plethora of plot holes mars this Sorkin thriller, with Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman and Bill Pullman desperately trying to make sense of what is going on.

Pullman and Kidman are a happily married couple with financial problems who invite elite surgeon Baldwin to rent their upstairs to earn some extra coin. Is this a Pacific Heights retread? No, but there are certainly some familiar beats.

There is a serial killer/rapist subplot that makes no sense and has no resolution. The twists are ludicrous, and the character motivations inexplicable. Nicole and Baldwin are terrific though, while Pullman expertly plays his usual simp husband act. 6/10.

Three acting heavyweights deliver strong performances in a strangely bland tale of a mother and son who move in with an alcoholic and abusive husband and stepfather. Leo plays Tobias, a rebellious teen with dreams of something bigger than the miserable existence he finds himself.

DeNiro plays Dwight, an absolute delight of a man. He is an insecure alcoholic, abusive and cruel, and ensures his family is constantly walking on eggshells. We've seen this type of monster plenty of times in film, but this guy is so rooted in reality in this trie story, that we are never really afraid of him.

The performances are elite from the leads, particularly Leo in his breakout role. He more thsn holds his own in this company, with plenty of promise for the years ahead. 7/10.

Fincher's cult masterpiece has aged fascinatingly; watching it in my late 40s vs early 20s is a vastly different experience. Don't worry, Tyler Durden is still cool, and Ed Norton is still one of the best actors of his generation, but the depth to this film is more apparent the older I get.

Norton is the Narrator, an office-bound schlub with severe insomnia and an addiction to support groups. He soon meets two people who will change his life dramatically; Helena Bonham Carter's Marla and Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden. Both actors deliver an acting masterclass, particularly Pitt, who chews up every scene.

The film nails the 1999 era of confused masculinity, unrealised and largely undefined anger among young GenX males and the commercialisation of pretty much everything. And it's a wild, crazy and unpredictable journey, so strap in. 9/10.