Gone Girl Movie Review
"What
are you thinking? What are you feeling? What have we done to each other? What
will we do?"
-Nick Dunne
When I first saw the previews for Gone Girl I wasn't too compelled to see it. I hadn't read the book so I really was going off of what I had seen on t.v. Being directed by David Fincher was definitely a plus, but what actually convinced me to see the film were the overwhelmingly positive reviews. I usually don't decide on seeing a movie based on reviews but I, like anyone, else can't help but to be slightly swayed by public opinion even if in the smallest bit. So I went out and saw this drama in the theaters and after a 2 1/2 hour stretch, I walked out feeling like I just got off a roller coaster. I actually don't like roller coasters so it may not be the best analogy, but you get the point. I was shocked, satisfied but a bit confused and left wanting more all at the same time. Every once in a while a great drama mystery comes around and this was definitely one of them. Prisoners comes to mind starring Hugh Jackman that released about a year ago that draws some parallels with this film. Gone Girl is exhilarating, intriguing, tragic, and has some down-right holy shit moments that you take with you after the film is over. It was not a perfect film but Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike worked very well off each other and it was great to see that on the big screen.
I can't speak on behalf of how close the film kept to the source material but I can speak on what characteristics made this film great. Lets start with the cast. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne sharing the spotlight with Rosamund Pike who plays his wife Amy Dunne. We are taken through their love life from the moment they met, both still young and full of life but seem to be fundamentally different. Amy came from a very wealthy family had an Ivy league education, was beautiful and slightly famous. I say this because Amy lived out her childhood in the shadow of another Amy, one Amazing Amy. She was a fictional character that her parents created for a children's book that was quite a hit. This fictional character was based off of Amy, but more of an ideal version of her. I mean if my parents wrote a children's book based off of my life, with the main character being a "better" version of myself, I'd be pretty pissed too. Essentially though she had it all. Nick on the other hand was not as well off but was charming as hell which was essential in winning Amy's heart. We are then walked through their relationship over the next couple of years. They seemed to be a match made in heaven. Two young, good-looking people living life and falling more in love as time passed. Then they hit the next milestone in life: marriage. And it was a big one. But a few years into the marriage and this perfect image began to erode. The economic crash hit everyone hard and financial problems definitely put a strain on any marriage. Let's just say things escalated rather quickly.
Without going into any spoilers, next thing we know Amy goes missing. To draw another comparison from Prisoners, when we find out she goes missing it evokes a sense of helplessness, similar to when the little girls go missing in that movie. While Nick is notably concerned after finding what looked like an intrusion in his home, he doesn't seem concerned enough which I felt was a bit off-putting. From this point on is when you could say the roller coaster ride starts. As soon as Nick reports this to police the narrative starts to take unexpected twists and turns. That's one of the beauties of this film; it's ability to reel us in and keep us there for such a long period of time. I was truly engrossed watching this film and it sure didn't feel like I was sitting there for as long as I was. I have to say this was also a film that was very dependent on the performances. The plot twists didn't only serve for shock value, but to truly characterize these people and added so much to their development. Not only did Affleck do a terrific job in reacting to the unfortunate circumstances he was put in but he did a great job in confusing us as well! I liked not knowing who to believe and who to trust. Likewise Pike was not only beautiful but a puzzle that was not easy to solve. Fincher does a great job of pulling us in different directions, not really telling us where to look but leaving us guessing.
What I also thought was a strong aspect of the film was it's supporting cast as well. Carrie Coon, who played Margo Dunne, is Nick's twin sister who adds a few good laughs to the film and actually allows us to connect more to Nick. She grounds him and there is no denying the unbreakable bond between these twin siblings. We also have Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry who also had some pretty important characters to portray. The former plays a deranged ex lover and the latter plays a relentless defense lawyer who is determined to do his job to the best of his abilities. I also feel like there weren't any useless characters thrown in just for the hell of it. Everyone plays a vital role in this sick story and it really comes together nicely without feeling rushed. I went in with average expectations and walked out thoroughly pleased or maybe still trying to process the last hour of the film and it's culmination. Either way it was a very fun ride with solid performances, plot twists that will make your stomach turn, and an overall good narrative. I give Gone Girl an 8 out 10, another win for David Fincher.
Without going into any spoilers, next thing we know Amy goes missing. To draw another comparison from Prisoners, when we find out she goes missing it evokes a sense of helplessness, similar to when the little girls go missing in that movie. While Nick is notably concerned after finding what looked like an intrusion in his home, he doesn't seem concerned enough which I felt was a bit off-putting. From this point on is when you could say the roller coaster ride starts. As soon as Nick reports this to police the narrative starts to take unexpected twists and turns. That's one of the beauties of this film; it's ability to reel us in and keep us there for such a long period of time. I was truly engrossed watching this film and it sure didn't feel like I was sitting there for as long as I was. I have to say this was also a film that was very dependent on the performances. The plot twists didn't only serve for shock value, but to truly characterize these people and added so much to their development. Not only did Affleck do a terrific job in reacting to the unfortunate circumstances he was put in but he did a great job in confusing us as well! I liked not knowing who to believe and who to trust. Likewise Pike was not only beautiful but a puzzle that was not easy to solve. Fincher does a great job of pulling us in different directions, not really telling us where to look but leaving us guessing.
What I also thought was a strong aspect of the film was it's supporting cast as well. Carrie Coon, who played Margo Dunne, is Nick's twin sister who adds a few good laughs to the film and actually allows us to connect more to Nick. She grounds him and there is no denying the unbreakable bond between these twin siblings. We also have Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry who also had some pretty important characters to portray. The former plays a deranged ex lover and the latter plays a relentless defense lawyer who is determined to do his job to the best of his abilities. I also feel like there weren't any useless characters thrown in just for the hell of it. Everyone plays a vital role in this sick story and it really comes together nicely without feeling rushed. I went in with average expectations and walked out thoroughly pleased or maybe still trying to process the last hour of the film and it's culmination. Either way it was a very fun ride with solid performances, plot twists that will make your stomach turn, and an overall good narrative. I give Gone Girl an 8 out 10, another win for David Fincher.
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