Review of Gone Girl (2014) by Jonathan B — 20 Nov 2016

It's difficult to say much about this part-Hitchcock, part-black comedy mystery without giving away plot details but when the beautiful Amy (Rosamund Pike), wife of Nick (Ben Affleck) goes missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, things aren't quite as they appear.

The police investigation uncovers several strange elements and Nick's behaviour doesn't paint the image of a distraught husband. Did he kill her? The press and the public certainly think so as the story makes several completely unexpected turns as new revelations come to light.

There were elements that reminded me of Fargo in this terrific movie by David Fincher, in that we have a police investigation in a small American town where everyone seems to be hiding something. There's also a dash of Fatal Attraction and a dollop of that Christie staple, the unreliable narrator.

I've always found Rosamund Pike to be both interesting to watch and more than capable and here she seems to relish her complex and variable role. Ben Affleck is an affable, likeable lead who is not as meek and mild as he first seems.

Everyone in this movie seems to have a skeleton or two kicking around in their closets and the plot weaves around cleverly enough to keep the viewer guessing about what will happen next. This is a clever, witty and different take on a crime drama which I can thoroughly recommend.