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Review of Gone Girl

Gone-Girl-Poster

Directed By: David Fincher

Written By: Gillian Flynn

Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris

 

When you control perception you control reality. You become a submerged rudder that secretly steers opinion to your desired location, while society is unaware that their destination was predetermined by an outside source. David Fincher’s latest film Gone Girl  emerges itself in the gratuitous glory of playing with this idea.  Fincher has crafted a well-dressed B-movie that takes hitchcockian thrills and adds the right pinch of social commentary.  Gone Girl  is a mystery thriller in every sense of the word, but it doesn’t stop there—it is clearly after more.

Fincher is once again adapting an acclaim novel, but this time he gets an assist from screenwriter Gillian Flynn who is also responsible for penning the novel. The book loyalist out there can rest assured as it stays true to the source material, and more importantly knows what adjustments to make in order for it to work in the film format. On its face this appears to be a stereotypical story about a wife’s disappearance and how the husband becomes the de facto prime suspect. As it progresses we begin to see how first impression are not everything they are cracked up to be.41

Ben Affleck plays that husband Nick Dunne in a role that is very allegorical of his own real life career. After his wife mysteriously disappears after an apparent home invasion, he becomes the centerpiece of a media circus. Where every move or gesture he makes is scrutinized to the nth degree as solid proof that he did or did not kill his wife. He goes from media darling to media goat to darling again in this whirlwind of foundationless public opinion.

Criticizing the role TV personalities like Nancy Grave play in these fiascos is by no means groundbreaking, and it is easy as an audience member to proclaim you will never get caught up in similar chaos. What makes Gone Girl  different is how it unexpectedly makes you apart of this game without you even realizing. Without revealing too much you can suffice to say seeing does not always equal believing.

Events unfold through a fluid timeline with a number of flashbacks and flash-forwards. We see how Nick Dunne begins his fairytale like relationship with his now wife Amy. Then the layers are peeled back to reveal the rotten core underneath. Rosamund Pike plays opposite Affleck in a clear star making performance as she navigates each complicated side of Amazing Amy. She has a chameleon like personality that adjusts based upon her surroundings. Once you see her true colors we get to see Pike have a great deal of salacious fun with the character.

Growing up the inspiration of her mother’s famous novels deflated the opportunity of a normal childhood. Especially when the fictional Amazing Amy has a life the real Amy could only dream of having.   Nick and Amy become two characters who exist in a purgatory of morality as both are aggressively unlikeable in their own unique way. Fincher appears to be attracted to stories with despicable characters, and here he has countless amounts of deplorable people to choose from. As you would expect Fincher gets a great performance out of everyone. Including a surprising turn from Tyler Perry as the lawyer you call to win the unwinnable cases.

There is no question that Fincher knows how to stylize his films, but with Gone Girl  that style is far more subdued than the likes of Fight Club and Seven. In many ways the first third could have use some of his flair as it dragged on as your atypical police procedural.  Interest begins to lessen until the first big twist occurs and it finds a new-found energy when it completely Dingusirestructures everything you seen previously.  As it enters its final third reality does becomes stretched nearly to the brink of breaking, however it is fully aware of its sleaziness and choses to reveal in it.

Throughout it does maintain that moody atmosphere that always makes you feel uneasy in your own skin. Much of that is due to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s slow yet urgent score—one that is a transparent look into the unraveling mindset of these characters. Using repetitive sounds, buzzing mummers, and some inventive use of electronic tones Reznor and Ross make you enter into your own version of paranoia. Where you question nearly everything you see before you.

Gone Girl   is quite the unique experience as it is able to sharpen its edge with a cynical dark sense of humor.  Where it suffers is when it escalates to the more over the top aspects. They seemingly come out of nowhere, and with so much plotting occurring it does feel emotionally hallow. Still, there is something to say about a movie that is in full command of its premise. One that divvies out new revelations with vigor as it anxiously awaits that look of confusion to morph into profound realization. Simply put Gone Girl  is a movie that should not be missed.

Review Overview

Final Rating

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Gone Girl is unorthodox mystery thriller with a B-Movie plot that is dressed up with some superb cinematic design. Some plotting and pacing issues are the only things hindering it from being truly great.

User Rating: 4.3 ( 2 votes)
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Dan Clark

A fan of all things comics, movies, books, and whatever else I can find that pass the time. Twitter: @DXO_Dan Instagram: Comic_concierge

6 Comments

  1. I agree with your critique of the acting performances within this movie and agree even more with your praise of Trent Reznor et al in the music behind the film. I think perhaps where I disagree with you most would be with the following statement…

    “What makes Gone Girl different is how it
    unexpectedly makes you apart of this game without you even realizing.
    Without revealing too much you can suffice to say seeing does not always
    equal believing.”

    It never had that affect on me. I never felt too much a part of the game and the ‘twists’ that your refer to could be seen coming for miles. You seem to see the first third of the film as its weakest when to me its easily the strongest…and that’s not just because it was ‘pre-twist’ or more ‘basic police procedural’ as you say. It was simply more believable in all aspects. You say the film and the writer/director for that sake were always firmly in control of the film and what was being said and what was being transferred/presented to the viewer. Again, I disagree with this. I think some control was lost and that perhaps they were so lost in the story that they failed to see how it would come across on screen to audiences.

    You were however correct when you allude to the hollowness of the emotional motives and choices of the characters, especially in the final third of the film. Not only were the actions and choices in no way believable based on general human action, but they also were not even believable for the characters as they were set up previously in the film. Not only that but the stance from the authorities for the last third of the film was laughable.

    Honestly as someone who has experienced very similar events to that which happened in the film, especially from the ‘media circus’ standpoint, I really should be able to relate and find a lot to like about this film. Instead, my experiences just make me more unaware of how ridiculous certain aspects of the film were.

    First third of the film: 4 stars, Second third: 3/3.5 stars, Final third: 1 star.

    1. I question the ‘see the twist for miles’ claim. Maybe certain elements, but the intricacies of it including the effect of the unreliable narrator I find rather effective. The first third could have just been one of those awful TV police procedurals like CSI or Criminal Minds that are just about plot and offer nothing else.

      But a lot of the overwritten aspects of the first third, especially when it comes to the dialog of the two leads when it comes to their relationship, actually become clever with the reveal.

      This claim that the actions in the final act are no way human decisions just indicates to me that you were looking for something the movie wasn’t giving. Again maybe something more ‘realistic’ where we get an ending we would typically expect. Yes the actions of the police were questionable, as the movie points out itself. Yes the actions of the characters are frustrating, as they are meant to be. I could see the argument that they aren’t realistic although reality itself would question that statement. Also setting aside the fact the movie clearly exists in a heighten reality and the actions are purposely design to be over the top to accent its commentary, but I cannot agree the actions are out of character. Rosmand Pike’s character specifically. She ends up in her ideal situation where she gets the play the part she has always wanted. Affleck’s character I could see needing more explanation to better explain it, but if you go back and look it’s there. Mostly with his selfish qualities.

      You seem to be getting caught up comparing this movie the straight reality and dismissing it because it doesn’t exactly fit, yet not looking at the reasons why. If you would have rather more of a movie that was like the first act fine. Sorry you didn’t get that. Personally I’m glad we got something else. I tend to get bored with movies that are overly plot heavy. I enjoyed that this wasn’t that.

      1. Thanks for the response. I can actually see your points moreso with this then I did with your other comments and can understand why you enjoyed the movie. I would like to clarify one aspect though. I in no way needed something more grounded or more based in reality. I enjoyed the commentary on lawyers, police, media and the general public. Even the commentary on marriage was well done. None of those aspects bothered me. I actually thoroughly enjoyed that commentary. Regardless of grounded or heightened reality though I need my characters actions to make logical sense and there were too many times towards the end where that just didn’t happen. I can suspend reality or certain things if I feel it was NEEDED to enhance the comments the movie was trying to make. I just don’t feel like it was needed in some cases in this film.

        1. Well thank you as well. Always enjoy hearing your insight. Curious what choices you are referring to specifically? I know a lot of people have issues with the ending. I can see those, I think the end is probably the most problematic part of the movie, when it comes to logic anyways. Mostly with Ben Affleck’s character. I do think the book explains his reasoning for what he does more, and part of the issue was the movie didn’t really set up his character well enough to justify his choice. We see tidbits of it. How he kind of exploits his wife and enjoys being catered too, but I wonder if the movie was too much on his side throughout to really show us how morally questionable he was as well.

          What is odd is this is the first time I find myself defending Gone Girl. Usually I’ve been the one questioning the claims of those calling it a masterpiece.

  2. I agree with your critique of the acting performances within this movie and agree even more with your praise of Trent Reznor et al in the music behind the film. I think perhaps where I disagree with you most would be with the following statement…

    “What makes Gone Girl different is how it
    unexpectedly makes you apart of this game without you even realizing.
    Without revealing too much you can suffice to say seeing does not always
    equal believing.”

    It never had that affect on me. I never felt too much a part of the game and the ‘twists’ that your refer to could be seen coming for miles. You seem to see the first third of the film as its weakest when to me its easily the strongest…and that’s not just because it was ‘pre-twist’ or more ‘basic police procedural’ as you say. It was simply more believable in all aspects. You say the film and the writer/director for that sake were always firmly in control of the film and what was being said and what was being transferred/presented to the viewer. Again, I disagree with this. I think some control was lost and that perhaps they were so lost in the story that they failed to see how it would come across on screen to audiences.

    You were however correct when you allude to the hollowness of the emotional motives and choices of the characters, especially in the final third of the film. Not only were the actions and choices in no way believable based on general human action, but they also were not even believable for the characters as they were set up previously in the film. Not only that but the stance from the authorities for the last third of the film was laughable.

    Honestly as someone who has experienced very similar events to that which happened in the film, especially from the ‘media circus’ standpoint, I really should be able to relate and find a lot to like about this film. Instead, my experiences just make me more aware of how ridiculous certain aspects of the film were.

    First third of the film: 4 stars, Second third: 3/3.5 stars, Final third: 1 star.

    1. I question the ‘see the twist for miles’ claim. Maybe certain elements, but the intricacies of it including the effect of the unreliable narrator I find rather effective. The first third could have just been one of those awful TV police procedurals like CSI or Criminal Minds that are just about plot and offer nothing else.

      But a lot of the overwritten aspects of the first third, especially when it comes to the dialog of the two leads when it comes to their relationship, actually become clever with the reveal.

      This claim that the actions in the final act are no way human decisions just indicates to me that you were looking for something the movie wasn’t giving. Again maybe something more ‘realistic’. Yes the actions of the police were questionable, as the movie points out itself. Yes the actions of the characters are frustrating, as they are meant to be. I could see the argument that they aren’t realistic although the sad part is I don’t think they are that far fetched. Also setting aside the fact the movie clearly exists in a heighten reality and the actions are purposely design to be over the top to accent its commentary, but I cannot agree the actions are out of character. Rosmand Pike’s character specifically. She ends up in her ideal situation where she gets the play the part she has always wanted. Affleck’s character I could see needing more explanation, but if you go back and look it’s there. Mostly with his selfish qualities, and how he enjoys playing that part of take direction husband.

      You seem to be getting caught up comparing this movie the straight reality and dismissing it because it doesn’t exactly fit, yet not looking at the reasons why. If you would have rather more of a movie that was like the first act fine. Sorry you didn’t get that. Personally I’m glad we got something else. I tend to get bored with movies that are overly plot heavy. I enjoyed that this wasn’t that.

      I completely see your issues but for whatever reason they didn’t bother me. Felt they fit into the genre and the exploitative nature. Similar to watching a horror movie. There are certain elements, like character logic, you might have to forgive in order for it all to work. If you aren’t able to get bye those I could see why it would be frustrating.

      For me Gone Girl was like that. A sultry B movie that exploits our culture in the vein of media and marriage. I never felt like it was trying to be a realistic portrayal so the out of the norm actions of the characters didn’t bother me, because they fit the narrative it was crafting and characters it was making. It reminded me of Hickok in that manner. You could point to something like Rear Window, Vertigo, or even North By Northwest and have the same issues, but the beauty of those movies are in their direction and the way they craft tension. Also how they point to the side of humanity that makes us uncomfortable and expand upon it even further. Not saying Gone Girl is as good as those movies, just follows similar genre tropes that have long been forgotten. It was refreshing in that manner, in how old school schlocky it is.

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