Review of Gone Girl (2014) by Omar K — 17 Jul 2015

Director David Fincher is undeniably the master of misdirection and psychological thrillers; he has performed his magic countless number of timesâ?¦ Se7en, Fight Club, Panic Room, and that are just to name a few! Such a visionary whose latest film Gone Girl only elevates his position as one of the worldâ??s best directors. Gone Girl plays to his overriding strengths and delivers the opening and perhaps unconquerable film of the winter cinematic season.

A mystery/crime film that on its own elevates itself into primarily the category of a psychological thriller. Gone Girl parades the disappearance of Amy Dunne and the catastrophic effects of this on her husband Nick Dunne who is then cast into the limelight as the perpetrator of her vanishing. It is dark and disturbing, and will leave you gasping for respite at the sickening events that unfold, as you will feel inconsolable shock that the plotâ??s turn of events even occurred. Gone Girl has the best plot twist to appear on screen in a while. It takes you to the most sinister, gloomiest places of the anthropological being; and that place is an intriguing area, yet it breeds a sort of malevolence that will leave you questioning the potential of humansâ?¦ It is that agitating! The only other film in recent memory similar to Gone Girl is 2010â??s Shutter Island as both leave you guessing until the end, and when the end arrives you just will not expect what comes your way.

The film uses heavily the main protagonists as unreliable narrators as everything seems hollow, deceiving and meticulously planned to be one step ahead of you. You want to come to a judgement about the proceedings but you cannot prove it because in truth you do not know anything. This is because the characters appear dark and unresponsive, hiding their true persona under a façade that is so sinister to even comprehend. The filmâ??s structure divides the plot into segments of unreliable narration creating an extremely intimate yet deceiving film. It lures you in with lies and you know that, but you cannot figure out what the purpose of Amy Dunneâ??s disappearance really is for.

Permeating through the structure of the film is the Fincher-esque suspense he has come to define in his own cultivated unnerving style. The suspense delivers in bucket-loads through so many different ways. Most intriguingly is the sound, which adds to the tension further that you expect at any moment for things to boil over. The sounds are eerie, heightening in volume and intensity until it mirrors your own palpitating heartbeat and suddenly cuts. Sound is presented as a cycle, intensifying until the chapter boils over giving you an interval for the next disclosure.

The themes of dishonesty, unreliability, media representation and economy are prevalent during the film thus making it more affecting as it deals with aspects of life that everyone can associate with. The overriding theme of marriage incorporates all the other themes under its name and presents marriage as a corrosive junction where two people intertwine themselves in a spiral of dishonesty and facades.

London, Hammersmith-born Rosamund Pike makes up one half of the couple and this film marks a turn in her career as one of the freshest actresses around with a performance that will leave you mesmerised and shocked. She is not afraid to really let herself go in some scenes and therefore her character, Amy Dunne, will be one day on lists for the greatest female characters to appear on screen. Ben Affleckâ??s Nick Dunne makes up the other half, and he is perfect for the role. He has a â??villainous chinâ?? and a cold face that looks like he is hiding something. His character is universally presented as the person of concealment and doubt as the filmâ??s trailer dictates to you who you should watch out forâ?¦ but this could be misleading, as nothing should be trusted. You go on a journey with both the characters that your initial perception of the characters is completely abolished and transformed into sentiments so otherworldly by the conclusion of the story. In essence, Fincher presents Gone Girl as one big magic trickâ?¦ and boy does it amaze!

Gone Girl is perhaps the biggest mind-fuck of the decade. The extraordinary Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike leave you distressed and shaken at the disturbing sequence of events that unexpectedly shatters the comfort of your psyche.

â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â?? 10/10.