Review of Gone Girl (2014) by Ericisadog — 09 Oct 2014

Movie Review: Gone Girl.

Directed by: David Fincher (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fight Club).

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry.

By Justin Madore.

One of the most prominent andMovie Review: Gone Girl.

Directed by: David Fincher (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fight Club).

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry.

By Justin Madore.

One of the most prominent and distinguished directors in Hollywood, David Fincher, returns to theaters this October to kick off awards season with Gone Girl, the slick, darkly humorous, murder mystery based off the bestselling book of the same name. Fincher brings his A game, with impeccable casting, his signature cinematography, and a deliciously disturbing tale of revenge, anger, laziness, narcissism, betrayal, and manipulation. The screenplay (written by the books author, Gillian Flynn) examines the hardships of marriage and sensationalism of the media in ways that, while not groundbreaking, ultimately are constructed incredibly well by a fantastic cast of interesting and relatable characters.

Gone Girl Trailer.

Tragedy and misery has never before been so enjoyable. Continuing his hot-streak, Ben Affleck stars as Nick Dunne, whose wife (Rosamund Pike) mysteriously disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary. His sense of detachment in an increasingly perilous situation finds its way through the screen and manifests itself in the viewer, to the point where I oddly felt calm and detached myself. The character of Nick Dunne is that persuasive. His performance as a well off, self loathing, arrogant writer fits the bill perfectly. Opposite him, Rosamund Pike, the standout of the film, comes off as the cool, calculated, meticulous, and narcissistic wife. Her role had much more complexity that I believed there was based on marketing materials. The rest of the casting, while on paper may seem questionable (Tyler Perry seems like he’s trying to change his image at the moment), is perfect, and full of surprises.

From the opening shots, viewers will immediately recognize the style of director David Fincher. A shadowy dark blue tint encapsulates the screen, and wide shots of Dunne’s Missouri hometown are shown, interspersed with the credits. At this point, Fincher has become known for his intricate title sequences. His body of work reveals that he loves to revel in dark, tension filled murder mysteries (Zodiac, Seven, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). While not his best film (that honor belongs to the incredible Social Network) overall, it is his best crime thriller, of which there are an abundance to choose from. While not quite as dark and twisted as his 2011 adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s über popular series, that is most definitely for the better. One of the best surprises of the film, is how often humor is interlaced in this decidedly bleak looking tale.

Prolific composer and frequent collaborator Trent Reznor graces his audience with another fantastic soundtrack, following his work in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Social Network. The long, strung out cords creates an ruthlessly eerie mood, which helps perfect the tone and presentation of the film. The score is never too and is used sparingly to great effect.

DF-01826cc - Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) finds himself the chief suspect behind the shocking disappearance of his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike), on their fifth anniversary.

Throughout most of the film, Nick Dunne is ruthlessly hounded by the media. He becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife, and for palpable reasons easy enough to understand for audience members. “Nick Dunne, you’re probably the most hated man in America right now” says the Nancy Grace character that Dunne agrees to be interviewed by to help clear his name. And he is the most hated man in America, not because he had been proven guilty, but because of the sensationalism present whenever a case like this happens. This point isn’t fiction, and it’s one of the valid, and strong points driven home by the script. People love to hate. I was reminded of one of the more famous trials in recent memory. Zimmerman v State of Florida. News coverage was vastly misleading, from editing of evidence, to misrepresentation of the subjects, to allegations of the shooting being a hate crime. It’s a strange phenomenon, but when you can make someone look really bad, people gobble it up. Although Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of his second degree murder charge, I’m not advocating that either him or Trayvon Martin were certain types of people, and that’s the point. Both Nick and Amy Dunne are deeply flawed individuals, with their own sets of problems that they deal with away from the spotlight. While the ending is not maybe as ambiguous as one might hope, no one gets away scot free. There is a definitive villain revealed before the credits role.

Gone Girl impresses on every front. The presentation of the film is flawless. The score, cinematography, performances, create a sleek, atmospheric mood that suits the film fine. While I haven’t read the book, and therefore can’t speak for the quality of the adaption, what you find here is a fully fleshed out story, and I never once felt like anything was missing. The two and a half hour running time disappeared before my eyes. There are a astounding amount of onscreen clues for the attentive viewer, grabbing your attention, and fixing your eye on the screen. The ridiculousness of the plot at certain points, covered in layers of satire, are utterly intoxicating. This is a film for the engaged movie goer. About 40 minutes in, when the first twist presents itself, the hooks sink in, and they never come loose. Do yourself a favor and go see this one.