David Fincher: The director king that knows no genres
One of the most passionate directors, David Fincher, has celebrated his 59th birthday yesterday. If you are not a cinephile or you do not know David Fincher, I can tell you that there is an 80% chance that you have seen one of his movies. His portfolio includes some of the most critically acclaimed movies that are nowadays considered as classics. Today we are going to explore the 5 best movies of David Fincher.
Humble beginnings
Before we head to the list, let's explore Fincher's career. The first thing that you must know about David Fincher is that Star War's creator and director George Lucas was his next door neighbor. I mean, talk about destiny right?
Some of his work include various video clips and commercials with a lung cancer commercial being the one that brought him into the attention of producers.
This led to him directing a number of Madonna's videoclips including "Express Yourself", "Oh Father", "Vogue" and more along with commercials for Levis, Pepsi, Sony and other multinational companies. But one can wonder how does an ad director, make some of the best cult classics in cinema.
David Fincher is a director that is not afraid to explore the deep connections of the human psyche. He comprehends what truly scares the subconscious of the human mind and he goes for it . The darkness depicted in his films along with the cynicism and nihilism of the human world, combined with some great storytelling, end up creating some of the best flicks a watcher can experience. So, let's get on the with the list and see the best of the birthday boy that gave us some of the best cinema.
Memorable Mention:
The Game
I know that this is technically cheating but I cannot help myself. The Game is a mystery- thriller released in 1997 and stars Michael Douglas as a cynic rich banker who is given a mysterious game by his brother; an immersive experience that aims to make the receiver feel as his life is invaded by strange forces. This results in an suspensful movie revolved constantly in more twists and turns than your average thriller. As a movie it grabs you and just sticks you on the edge of your seat. If I could suggest you seeing this movie, do it in a group setting with three or four friends and keep suggesting what is going to happen next. If you get it wrong, down a shot. I promise you a very fun evening.
So now, let's get on the real top five movies of our birthday boy.
5. The girl with the Dragon Tattoo
This is a movie that has gone over the head of many cinephiles. Mostly because this is the american interpretation of the Swedish one, something that we all know mostly sucks. American remakes of foreign movies have never been something that left a good taste in viewers mouths. However, this is a surprisingly good attempt. The movie features one of the best and tightly written female characters out there. No special snowflakes, no mary sues right here. Lisbeth is a raw, flawed character that suffers and goes through shit. She is a truly masterpiece of a character in my opinion. From her cool ass bike to her deadpan attitude to her detective skills to her hacking, she is an example of how female characters should be written. Real.
The strength of Fincher of not giving a fuck and showing everything to the audience, allows for this movie to show some real fucking shit. Trust me, in this movie there is one of the most disturbing scenes in quality cinema. If you watched it, you know what I am fucking talking about. Yes, that r*** scene. However, the movie is not just shocking shit. It is a mystery about the sudden dissapearance of a family member of a wealthy family in which everyone is a suspect (I am going to be honest, the mystery part is not the best out there) What makes this movie except from the protagonist, is the atmosphere. Fincher loves his darkness and I adored it as well. The atmosphere of the movie truly reflects the darkness that exists in this cinematic world. Moreover, Daniel Craig is also in this movie and he is actually etty good. It's not a Knives Out performance but he is alright.
4. The Social Network
I told you. There is little to no chance of you not having watched a David Fincher movie. His portfolio is filled with diverse classics. The Social Network is a movie about the creation of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's rise to power. I know what you are thinking:
"hOw CaN a mOvIe aBoUt fAcEbOoK nOt bE bORing"
First of all, it is directed by David Fincher. David Fincher believes that there is only one way to shoot a scene. If its two, then one of them is wrong. Fincher can make even the most boring stuff seem as you are watching Godzilla punching Stone Cold in the nuts while Superman is fighting Gohan in the background. Take this scene for example where Mark is hacking the universitys' servers to gain access to the pictures he wants.
I mean, right? It fucking rocks. Also, that fucking soundtrack along with Jesse Eisenberg's narration is just fucking gold. I mean just listen to this shit. It is fucking mesmerizing.
Also this depressing piece.
The performances in this from the ensemble cast are beautiful. Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake. I mean, do you want more? I have something more for you. This fucking scene right here. Watch it at your own risk though. It is a climatic scene.
SPOILER ALERT
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
As mentioned, the beauty of this director's work lies onto his diverse beautiful work. This is not a mystery. This is not a necesarilly dark movie. This is something else entirely in my opinion. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a masterpiece of storytelling in my opinion. It is simple, it is deep and it is elegant. The movie follows Benjamin, a kid abandoned by his birthparents due to his ugliness. However, it is revealed that said ugliness is apart of what makes him unique. This uniqueness that originates from a strange illness which has the stange effect of making Benjamin age backwards. Consequently, the strange appearance of Benjamin maybe offputting to some, but not for others. The curious case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful life story that will make the viewer feel a diverse panel of feelings while exploring even a wider array of more feelings. This is one for the books for anyone who is not afraid to sit and watch longer movies that do not have necessarily action or suspense. It is a slow burn that will reward the viewer with precious life lessons.
2. Se7en
Se7en is a mystery masterpiece. We all know that. The combination of prime Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt is something that can make even a wattpad story an Oscar worthy piece of media. However, this movie is so much more than that. It is a beutifully crafted story about the mind of a sadistic criminal who kills accordingly to the seven deadly sins. Fincher takes advantage of the talent and funds given and allows for beautiful character interactions and even better crime scenes. The killings are memorable and the way Fincher shot them is again, mesmerizing.
This is an OG in the modern mystery genre in my opinion since the serial killer is presented as someone truly to be scared off. What is more, the killer's portrayal by Kevin Spacey is nothing short of astonishing. His cold stare and slow speech creeps into your subconscious and lets you know that this fucker is sick. And come on, how can we forget one of the most memorable and quotable sayings in movie history?
See the movie and finally acquire the origin of this meme.
and finally
1. Fight Club
Come on, how did you not expect this? Fight Club is the best thing that has come from David Fincher. Yes even better than Mindhunter and House of Cards you fanboys. Nowadays, loads of snowflakes try to bring down Fight Club as a movie enjoyed by stereotypical white "literally me" guys. And I can see why. Feeling like you are literally Tyler Durden is pretty fucking stupid. However, this should not take away anything from this piece of god given material (said the stereotypical white guy). First of all, Fight Club is beautifully paced. There is not a single moment where you are bored. I find that Brad Pitt's exaggerated character and Nolan's beautiful narration contribute mostly to this part. However, Fight Club goes much deeper. I explore a slice of the beautiful pie that is Fight Club on an older blog post. Give it a read if you got the time.
Anyway, to sum it up, Fight Club is brutal, has a beautiful cast, deep philosophical meanings, amazing soundtrack, memorable quotes and a plot twist that is going to melt your brain if you are lucky to not know about. I do not have any other words to use for this movie. If you ever want to distract me from anything in this world, just start talking to me about this movie. I will not shut up about it.
What do you think about David Fincher's films? Is there a movie that you liked that I have not covered. By the way, Zodiac was boring as shit.