David Fincher, 2014
Anyone who has seen
Gone Girl will know that it is incredibly difficult to review the film without giving away major plot details and spoiling the film for others. Going into the film I had seen a couple of trailers, knew the general idea and had heard a few comments regarding the films tone and quality, but nothing prepared me for what I thought was a fantastic two and a half hours, filled with so many fresh and often hilarious surprises.
David Fincher is a perfect match for the films mysterious plot, especially in the first half of the film which is filled with dark, edge of your seat moments as we are introduced to the two central characters, to Nick (Affleck) who narrates from the present day as his wife has gone missing, and from Amy (Pike) who tells her story in flashback form as she tells of her troubled relationship from a diary she keeps, detailing how her marriage turned from exciting love to a living nightmare, living in fear of her husband.
It soon becomes clear that all is not what it seems. I have read some pretty harsh comments regarding the character of Nick, but from the start I felt real empathy for him in a difficult situation. Whilst Amy paints him out to be some sort of psychopathic monster, I think that from the first minute he comes across as much more innocent, he may be stupid, say and do the wrong things, but is this a man capable of murdering his wife? The two conflicting stories just do not add up, Amy says Nick is an abusive (both emotionally and physically) husband who wastes her money and makes her life a misery, whilst Nick seems genuinely clueless to the allegations surrounding him, he claims that identity fraud has taken place and that he has not been spending Amy’s money, that he has never hit her and so on.
WARNING: "Gone Girl" spoilers below
When the twist comes about half way (reminding me of the classic noir, Laura), it becomes much clearer about what type of characters we are dealing with. The hunt for Amy becomes much more needed for Nick who faces an uphill battle to save himself after being torn apart in terms of his public image.
I must say, that from the start I suspected that the characters would turn out to be like how they are, the writing makes subtle hints at a much darker, controlling side to Amy who sees herself as above people and blames Nick for a series of problems with her life. He may be a bit of an a*shole, he is guilty of having an affair with one of his students, but he does not deserve what he gets. Amy is a completely different monster, one of the scariest film villains in recent history, there is evil in her smile, a volatile unpredictability about her which sends shivers down your spine. Pike is absolutely brilliant as a psychopath who will go to extreme lengths to get what she wants. A certain scene with Neil Patrick Harris is particularly brilliant and dark.
When the twist comes about half way (reminding me of the classic noir, Laura), it becomes much clearer about what type of characters we are dealing with. The hunt for Amy becomes much more needed for Nick who faces an uphill battle to save himself after being torn apart in terms of his public image.
I must say, that from the start I suspected that the characters would turn out to be like how they are, the writing makes subtle hints at a much darker, controlling side to Amy who sees herself as above people and blames Nick for a series of problems with her life. He may be a bit of an a*shole, he is guilty of having an affair with one of his students, but he does not deserve what he gets. Amy is a completely different monster, one of the scariest film villains in recent history, there is evil in her smile, a volatile unpredictability about her which sends shivers down your spine. Pike is absolutely brilliant as a psychopath who will go to extreme lengths to get what she wants. A certain scene with Neil Patrick Harris is particularly brilliant and dark.
One of the most surprising things about the film is just how funny it is. The audience I was with in the cinema was laughing all the way through the film. A lot of the humour is sick and twisted, but it really is hilarious. The last half an hour is particularly funny, but there are many great moments throughout. The opening line about Nick cracking his wife’s skull sets the tone for the dark comedy that is present throughout. The biggest laughs probably came from Tyler Perry’s character’s comment about their “f*cked up marriage”, and a certain moment when Nick utters (I believe it was) “you f*cking b*tch”.
Rosamund Pike aside, who for me, absolutely steals the show and must at least be nominated for an Oscar, there are great performances all round. Admittedly, I am not the biggest Ben Affleck fan, but here he is perfect, he suits a laid back a*shole, and I think in many ways he is quite relatable and human. Tyler Perry (who upon researching, seems like a very odd choice) is great and often very funny as Nick’s lawyer and so I Neil Patrick Harris as Amy’s creepy stalker.
From a technical viewpoint, as with all Fincher films that I have seen, the film is a pleasure to watch. The first half is darker (in terms of actual look) than the second as dark mystery and comedy are balanced together. The score is quite subdued at times, but always very powerful and effective. Many people have mentioned how the film feels like a noir, and the first half certainly does seem to evoke certain elements in its storytelling style, the whole thing feels very pulpy and fun, the second half can perhaps be compared to something like
Basic Instinct, and there are clear nods to certain thriller/horrors such as
Psycho and
Play Misty For Me.
Gone Girl is a film I would definitely recommend going to the cinema to see if you can. It was a great experience for me and although some people have complained about certain plot elements, it is a great ride that is very fresh and creative; it is scary, funny and extremely enjoyable.
This is the ultimate anti-date movie, if you are going to the film with your partner, you won't be proposing to them soon after.
Reply to Topic
Check out my podcast: 
