Takeshi-K The Fan is an excellent thriller directed by British director Tony Scott (True Romance, Top Gun) and stars Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes. It is an intense and disturbing plunge into the darkness of obsession. Its rated average on this site is far too low to be believed (5.8 at time of writing). I contend that the unhealthy subject matter of obsession cut too close to the bone for many viewers, hindering a more favorable and fairer rating. Perhaps this film held a mirror too close to their own faces. I don't know what they were expecting. Obsession is a common theme in thrillers and for those that can stomach it, please note that it is used in an uncommonly brilliant way here.Robert de Niro is superb as Gil Renard. Gil's life is on a slow downward spiral. His sales job is under threat and an atrocious relationship with his ex wife threatens to derail his tenuous connection with his wide eyed innocent son. Think of a more intense darker quieter Willy Loman. Gil's desperation for professional and personal success mirrors the fortunes of his beloved but ailing San Francisco Giants who haven't won a pennant in years. This might change though when the club announces a brand new marquee singing in Bobby Rayburn (Snipes) and so Gil starts to invest all his hopes in the success of this elite baseballer. Gil feels a strong connection to him as he himself played baseball. In Gil's mind, he was a great "has been", but in reality he is a "never was" and never played beyond little league. He should be internally fixing his life, but instead he externalizes all of his hopes, failure and sadness into an unhealthy obsession for Rayburn.Gil dips into fantasy whenever he faces external disappointment and finds solace in repeating mantras his childhood hero, little league coach Coop (Charles Hallahan) instilled in him years ago. Gil considers Coop the finest proponent of the art of baseball. When we see Coop later we realize this might be pure fabrication. As Gil's ability to judge reality deteriorates his obsession hurtles toward a dark dangerous and suicidal path; an older angrier "Taxi Driver" driven beyond the point of no return.Bobby Rayburn in contrast sees life picture perfect. He knows he isn't Gods gift to the sport and admits it when he gets lucky on the diamond. But to someone like Gil, seeing Rayburn hitting a home run to win a game, its as magnificent as anything anyone has ever done in baseball. It happened because Rayburn is God's gift to the Giants. The schism between them, the golden ones that light up the scoreboards and simple folk like Gil, is apparent to everyone but Gil, whose continual lapse into childhood baseball fantasy is both realistic, understandable and tragic. Rarely has this spiritual divide been better examined in any sports related films. This might explain the low rating this film has on this site. Film viewers want to live the Rayburn fantasy and not the loser reality however brilliantly observed in Gil. I gave it an 8 out 10.

allyatherton Sometimes baseball can be more important than life itself.Starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes.Written by Peter Abrahams ( Book ) and Phoef Sutton ( Screenplay).Directed by Tony Scott.Sometimes a very average movie can be carried by one great acting performance.It's never been truer said than in this one. Everything else about The Fan is distinctly average. The plot has been done to death. Obsessed fan becomes a dangerous fan. Obsessed fan has newspaper clippings pinned to his walls. Obsessed fan resorts to murder.Most of the acting performances are average as well, including Wesley Snipes in what I'm guessing is one of his early acting roles. Or maybe it's more of a case of actors being miscast?I didn't buy the plot. For the first half of the film the main character is just a terrible husband that seems destined to screw up his relationship with his ex and his son. And then suddenly the movie jumps the shark and he turns into an obsessed fan with a pair of binoculars and a taste for murder. The whole production is a bit of a damp squid but Robert De Niro delivers a good performance that manages to stop the film from hurtling over the edge of a cliff.An average 6/10 but mainly because of Robert De Niro.

cindylee1333 If you are a major die hard fan of any sport, then not only will you enjoy this movie, but, we have come a long way since this movie was made, with our so called obsessions of our favorite players, of what we think and how they should play. Also, the money they are getting paid, all professional athletes, we seem to not only become obsessed with our teams and players, but we put them on a pedestal, to perform, no matter what.Thought, this movie kind of makes you think? Are they playing with their heart in the game or have we allowed, and part to blame, to make them almost "unreachable" and to win at all costs! No matter what, watch and enjoy. Deniro fans, couldn't have picked anyone better. I think it's a must see, for all of the above!! Makes you really think.

richard-1787 This is a difficult movie for me to watch. Not because of the acting. de Niro, a fine actor, gives a fine performance. But it is of a very sick person.Nor do I care to watch movies in which children are threatened.So what, then, was the point in making this movie, which tells the story of a very disturbed individual, de Niro's character, who goes from being a bad father to his own son to a kidnapper and terrorist of the son of a baseball player whom he idolizes. (Why does he idolize Snipes' character? We never really know.) It's all very exploitative. Some fine actors wasted on an exploitative script.I sat through it once. But I would never recommend it to anyone, despite de Niro's fine acting, nor would I ever sit through it again.I just don't see the point in making a movie like this. Who would get any pleasure out of it?