By Collin Stroup
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris
A lot of people are going to miss the points made in ‘Gone Girl’. I’ve read several reviews and criticisms out there that look at the surface of this interesting, stylized and meticulously crafted slowburn, but that’s not where the true story lies. If you dig under the skin of this film you will find a movie that raises some very interesting questions.
Gone Girl is based on the novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, who also penned the screenplay. Nick Dunn (Ben Affleck) wakes up on the morning of his fifth anniversary to his lovely wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) and upon returning home, finds that she is missing. As the media gets involved and evidence begins to surface, everyone around Nick begins to doubt he is the loving husband he claims to be.
For those familiar with David Fincher and his style of storytelling, it’s all there. From the fantastic cinematography of Jeff Cronenweth to the editing of Kirk Baxter, it is in many ways reminiscent of his past films but more sterile and removed. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deliver a soundtrack that takes that serine sterility and slowly unravels it into a nightmare that may be my favorite from them yet.
The movie starts off with a tense, slow introduction to the characters, offering up only the surface of who they really are amidst the mystery of Amy’s disappearance. As we watch the truth begin to unveil itself, it feels almost voyeuristic as we witness the characters expose themselves to us and reveal their true nature and desires. Gone Girl plays it’s audience from start to finish, constantly making you reevaluate who you believe and who you like.
The casting choices were spot on as Ben Affleck offers up one of the best performances in his career and Rosamund Pike is pure power. Tyler Perry was an unexpected face in this movie along with Neal Patrick Harris but it was a pleasant surprise as it turns out. Perry broke up some of the tension and Harris added to it with his subdued and off putting performance.
Gone Girl is a lot like it’s characters in that it distracts you with its surface. It uses style and a complex and twisted thriller to hide an interesting examination on appearances in our culture and using those to ones advantage. ‘Gone Girl’ is mystery with a lot to offer and definitely one to check out while it’s still in theaters.
4 out of 5 stars
