The advent of DVD has introduced a new element to our enjoyment of films, the Directors commentary. Here we have the dubious pleasure of watching the film while the director rambles on about his quest for artistic fulfilment. Not to be outdone producers, writers and actors will often get involved (and in the case of Attack of the Clones, tea boys and set sweepers!) and this helps add to the sheer absurdity of the situation. Commentary gems include Stuart Baird’s sparse approach to Star Trek Nemesis (lots of intense silence) and Roger Christian on Battlefield Earth, earnestly entreating us to understand that it’s a comic on film and way ahead of it’s time and not really a large steaming pile of badly made Psychlo poo. But with all this (often useless) information now available to us straight from the horses mouth as it were, what becomes of the simple critical book?

One man who does do a good commentary is David Fincher who’s films are the subject of James Swallows recent book. The book opens with an introduction to the artist as a young man, growing up relatively normally and apparently not gripped by the otherwise all pervasive need to make Super 8 shorts practically from birth. We are told something of his work at Industrial Light and Magic (where Fincher admits that by then most of the Magic had gone from the establishment) and his first commercial for the American Cancer Society featuring the disturbing smoking foetus. Through commercials to Music Video and finally to film this is where the book really kicks into gear.

Each of Fincher’s 5 films to date is afforded a chapter which gives a synopsis followed by background on the films development, production and the aftermath of it’s release. Fincher was interviewed specifically for this book and his comments and thoughts are to be found throughout along with observations from actors, producers and sundry others.

The book ably recounts the disastrous production of Alien 3 and it’s clear from Fincher’s comments that he’s drawn a veil over the film. Se7en proves to be of some more interest with a recounting of the arguments surrounding the films ending which if the studio had won could have been considerably different (a dogs head in the box?) The Game and Panic Room prove to be less griping simply because they weren’t necessarily very good films though the troubled production (noticing a pattern here) of Panic Room makes for interesting reading. The chapter on Fight Club is my personal favourite as is the film. The visual realisation of Palahniuk’s novel again features an interesting back story culminating in the firing of Fox CEO Bill Mechanic allegedly because of the films poor showing at the box office (Mechanic sticks by the picture to this day). Comments from Brad Pitt and Edward Norton not only highlight their commitment and enduring faith in the picture but also confirm that you’d rather go for a beer with Brad Pitt than Ed Norton!

So far Fincher has only made one foray into sci-fi but looking at his work since Alien 3 his return is long overdue and could well be spectacular. Swallow’s book ends by listing a number of projects which Fincher is/was attached to including his re-teaming with Morgan Freeman for an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘Rendezvous with Rama’. Fingers crossed for that one.

If you’re a Fincher fan this is an interesting book, informative and well written. In places Swallow’s criticism is a little long winded and unnecessary but the book does avoid being a simple ‘hero-worship/cash in’ paperback, numerous examples of which are available in the film section of your local Waterstones. You get the feeling that in a couple of films time this could have been a great book but as it stands it makes for a satisfying read and something of an insight into David Fincher, uncompromising director and DVD commentator par excellence. Roll on edition 2.

Cormac Donnelly