Review of Gone Girl (2014) by Kevin P — 12 Jan 2018

Strengths: David Fincher. He's one of the best directors alive and his style was the perfect fit for this tale. Like Fight Club or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, it's almost as if this book was written so he could direct the adaptation. It completely plays to his strengths. He also got the best out of his leads. Ben Affleck (Nick) gives one of his best performances ever. Rosamund Pike (Amy) is the shining star and I'd say this was easily her best role. Carrie Coon (Margo), Kim Dickens (Detective Boney), Neil Patrick Harris (Desi) and even the usually maligned Tyler Perry (Tanner) were all great in their supporting roles. Nobody is wasted. Fincher expertly sets up a dark, suspenseful tone, while the score added a ton. Fincher's combination with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross was once again a spectacular fit. I won't go into too much detail on the plot, because if you haven't seen it or read the book, then the twists and turns need to be experienced spoiler-free to truly appreciate them.

Weaknesses: I will admit that the ending doesn't feel like it resolves much. Again, without giving too much away, people don't really end up paying for anything they've done. I liked that Nick and Amy were portrayed as deeply flawed people, who were probably absolutely right for each other, but the ending just kind of leaves things a bit flat. It's not a bad ending, just not great. After the big reveal in the middle, the film does veer off into a few things that feel too far-fetched and a bit over the top.

Overall: This is a rather insane film, yet it all works very well. It's right in David Fincher's wheelhouse and he does what he does best. Great performances, a perfectly executed tone and a gripping mystery makes Gone Girl a success.