The Game Vs. The Firm (Ep. 0027)
The Game and The Firm pull back the curtain on what happens when the pursuit of wealth, status, and power is turned on its head. Michael Douglas and Tom Cruise enter worlds where nothing is what it seems. Join the Movie Wars crew as they dissect the breakneck twists and turns of these masterfully made thrillers.
Film Summaries (courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes)
The Game
Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a successful banker who keeps mostly to himself. When his estranged brother Conrad (Sean Penn) returns on his birthday with an odd gift -- participation in a personalized, real-life game -- Nicholas reluctantly accepts. Initially harmless, the game grows increasingly personal, and Orton begins to fear for his life as he eludes agents from the mysterious game's organizers. With no one left to trust and his money gone, Orton must find answers for himself.
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Director: David Fincher
Producer: Steve Golin, Ceán Chaffin
Writer: Michael Ferris, John D. Brancato
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 26, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.3M
Runtime: 2h 8m
(https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_game)
The Firm
A young lawyer joins a small but prestigious law firm only to find out that most of their clients are on the wrong side of the law. The company is helping to launder mob money, get clients off charges and even murder partners who threaten to blow their cover, but when the FBI come calling to gather evidence on the lawyer's colleagues, he is caught between a rock and a hard place, juggling his life and his liberty.
Rating: R
Genre:Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Director: Sydney Pollack
Producer: Scott Rudin, John Davis, Sydney Pollack
Writer: David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 1993 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2000
Box Office (Gross USA): $157.0M
Runtime: 2h 34m
(https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1044522-firm)