Despite lacking explanations for some details that are teased, The Game is nevertheless a very satisfying film about a very rich man who has everything in material wealth, but nothing at the same time.
Nicholas van Orten (played by Michael Douglas) is a well-to-do investment banker millionaire who seemingly has everything: his own office, private secretaries, and a control freak. Yet deep inside, he is haunted by the suicide of his father.
One day, his brother, Conrad van Orten (played by Sean Penn), who is far less disciplined, gives Nicholas a gift – a voucher for a company called Consumer Recreation Services. After a visit and seemingly being rejected, the game begins for van Orten.
Soon, Nicholas has his life turned upside down. A briefcase containing an important severance package (essentially, a “You are Fired” legal document) does not open during a visit to Seattle. His reputation is at risk after being framed in risqué activities such as drugs and pornography, and soon, his house is vandalized.
The film is supremely well-made. The shots are beautifully composed, with each of them seeming like an artistic painting. The direction is competent – there does not seem to be a misplaced moment within the Game where the director does not seem to be lacking focus.
The film has its flaws, however. The writing is chief among them – especially the plausibility of a company named CRS. While it has been argued that CRS predicted Amazon and other intrusive Silicon Valley giants, I find an issue with the likelihood of the company – especially how they manage to pull off actors for criminal investigators.
Even more implausible is how, nearing the end of the film, Conrad van Orten has a mental breakdown of sorts in a hotel and is institutionalized in a hospital in Napa, California. However, somehow, he then comes to celebrate in a party dedicated to van Orten, as if he somehow was cured instantly. (What does not help is that Napa is nearly hour and a half drive away from San Francisco).
Perhaps the biggest flaw is the lack of any context or explanation behind van Orten’s father’s suicide. Suicide clearly plays a major role in the film: in a scene a paper that says, “Like my father before me, I choose death.” Yet there is no explicit mention of why his father is dead: if the film is going to tease at something, shouldn’t it deliver?
Even with those flaws however I came out very satisfied with the film due to its direction and production and I highly recommend you watch this film.
– Misha Mustaqeem
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