In the game of Life, some are chosen for greatness, while others... can only watch.Such is the case with Gil Renard (Robert DeNiro) a divorced, unstable knife salesman, who has only one light left in his life: Baseball.And only one person he admires:Bobby Rayburn.Bobby Rayburn, by sharp contrast, is the most preeminent baseball player for the San Francisco Giants.As the movie progresses, we watch both men's lives unravel.And while Renard loses his job, and custody of his son; Rayburn (played by Wesley Snipes) suffers a chest injury, and gets upstaged by an ambitious young player, Juan Primo (Benicio Del Toro).It is at this point in the story when Renard decides to take matters into his own hands:He murders Primo, thus restoring Rayburn to his former greatness, but this is not enough.Firmly believing that he has done a good thing (for the Giants, and his idol), Renard decides to reach out to Rayburn, it being his opinion that the baseball star doesn't acknowledge his fans enough.This sets off a series of events which lead the increasingly more unhinged Renard to kidnap Rayburn's son...and demand a home run in exchange for his return.This is a very familiar theme of obsession and murder.You've seen this movie before, with different actors, different storylines, and different titles.What makes this one worth watching however, is a decent script (take for instance, the last scene of the movie), an excellent cast, and a powerful director.Tony Scott does a terrific job with this movie, giving it a dimension most directors could never have achieved.The actors are right on target, bringing out the complexities of their characters.Bobby Rayburn is very well played by Snipes:He's confident, and self-assured without being arrogant.Robert DeNiro is spectacular as Renard:He's clearly psychotic, and, although you can't root for him, you can understand what's causing his breakdown.He's a failure at his degrading job. Because of his volatile personality, he's incapable of maintaining a good relationship with his son, and his marriage crashed some time ago.His one moment of glory was in Little League. And as, the shot of an old newspaper clipping flashes through the screen, you feel you understand this character perfectly.John Leguziamo, and Ellen Barkin put the finishing touches on a movie which, though not unforgettable, is still strangely notable.Originally Written On: June 5, 2018

It's probably best that you ignore the hackneyed plot of this movie, plus all of the déjà vu you'll be getting from watching it. Sure, we've seen this type of movie before, many times, but slickness of direction, good cinematography and two standout performances from Snipes and De Niro as the leads make this a worthwhile venture, no matter what the critics might say.Basically, De Niro revisits his role in TAXI DRIVER as a normal, everyday kind of man who is thrown out of sync with everyday life and is forced to take drastic action to be noticed. De Niro's acting is flawless and he really convinces us that he's completely mad in his tour-de-force performance of innocent knife salesman turned psycho. Wesley Snipes is also surprisingly powerful as the good-natured star forced to deal with an obsessed fan, emoting pretty well in some heavy scenes. Ellen Barkin is realistic but irritating as a commentator, while the familiar face of John Leguizamo has little to do as Snipes' agent. Benicio del Toro briefly appears as a rival baseball player who comes off the worse for wear after his encounter with De Niro.The movie is at its most subtle and best at the beginning, with a character study of De Niro's initial descent into his insanity. There are many clichés along the way, and over the top bits, culminating in a ending which is a bit predictable, but still fun thanks to the actors. While not a gory film (aside from one unforgettable scene), this is still pretty violent stuff, both physically and mentally, thanks to effects work from Kevin Yagher. It's also quite disturbing and frightening, and has an edge of hard realism which makes it a gripping movie. Although not the most original film of all time, this is a fine showcase for the talents of the two leading men and passes the time well enough.

Knife salesman Gil Renard is a die-hard baseball fan and is looking forward to Opening Day more than normal as his team, the San Fransisco Giants, have acquired Bobby Rayburn - a 3-time MVP - from the Atlanta Braves. However, not long into the season, Rayburn's form goes downhill fast, and he starts to fall out with his teammates, especially the on-form Juan Primo. Gil decides to try and "help" Rayburn any way he can even if it means taking things a bit too far, but when he's not given the credit he thinks he deserves after Rayburn starts hitting again, Gil takes matters into his own hands after a "chance" meeting with Rayburn.Whether you like psychological thrillers, are a fan of De Niro or Snipes, or all of the above, The Fan is definitely a must-see kind of movie. The story's not intricate nor deeply complex, but it doesn't need to be when it's told & delivered as good as this.The film's cast is excellent...De Niro, Snipes, Leguizamo, Del Toro all do a fantastic job, but the master is definitely De Niro and he's at his psychotic best once again. The way he portrays Gil going on a steady downward spiral deeper into insanity is fantastic and scarily realistic. Snipes also does a good job of playing cocky Rayburn, which isn't too far off how a lot of players see themselves.The Nine Inch Nails soundtrack of "Closer" is used to great effect and really adds to atmosphere of Gil's descent into madness. I've seen people moaning about the lack of "realism" regarding the game of baseball in this movie also. How many action movies have we seen where the "hero" gets shot at 1000s of times but doesn't get hit once? Or all those James Bond moments when he's in trouble? People still enjoy them though. Yes, some of it's not realistic e.g. playing the game in a torrential downpour, but if you want "realism" regarding baseball then go and watch a documentary about the game. This is a film for entertainment...not education, so just enjoy it for what it is.

This is a great movie,Robert is a amazing actor and really delivers in the fan if you haven't seen this movie is strongly recommend it. it's exiting,thrilling and a little sad watch it. Snipes does well too it's about Gill a knife salesman who loves baseball and Rayburn is a baseball player,Gil starts to stalk Rayburn and is psychotic I don't want to give anything away so just watch it and I think you will agree I loved it and have saw it many times I strongly recommend x I love all Roberts films he's a superb actor and director. This movie will not bore you it will stay there and you'll remember it it's a brilliant film