Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl is David Fincher’s latest psychological thriller that packs a twisted punch. With Ben Affleck playing our protagonist, Nick Dunne, and the effervescent Rosamund Pike staring along side him as wife, Amy, these two prestige actors give a brilliant performance that ring true to Flynn’s original characters. Initially, the narrative is very straight forward, we’re looking at a murder enquiry where it is quite easy to assume the husband did it. However, as Fincher slams in twist after twist, audiences are soon left with their jaws on the floor.
The film is very Fincher, the sleek styling of the editing and mise-en-scene is similar to his other, more recent films like Zodiac and The Social Network. His wide screen camera angles and saturated blue haze to his scenes, adds to the sense of isolation within the narrative which is reflected beautifully within the characters. This familiarity is enjoyable and comforting, you know that in Fincher’s hands, you’re going to get a good movie, even at the very least, in stylistic terms. Much like within Fight Club, the film is dripping with hidden clues as to what the audience may discover throughout the narrative. A ‘game playing’ connotation is injected into many of the scenes like a hypodermic needle slowly dosing the audience with realization of what is going on in front of them.
My only true issue with the film is some of the pacing. Don’t get me wrong, you’re going to get that thriller sort of feel, even if it is more sadistic and twisted then your average psychological twist fest, but I just wanted a little more. I think those who haven’t read the novel or aren’t already familiar with the story will feel the pacing more intensely than those who have. However, I wanted to be on the edge of my seat a little more. I almost feel as if Fincher was ringing his hands together at the back on the cinema, shaking his head, knowing fully well I wanted a little more fast paced action and knowing that he was going to make me work for it. So sadistic, so Fincher. With it’s mega explicit sex scenes and shocking violence, Gone Girl is your standard thriller with a little more torture for the audience.
The absolute beacon of perfection in this film, however, is Rosamund Pike’s thrilling performance as Amy. With smaller films like An Education and The Worlds End under her belt, this is by far her best performance to date. She’s like a still lake, beautiful and tranquil and then somebody lobs a giant stone in it and she really comes into her own as a character. She plays Amy with such a multidimensional brilliance that it shocks you as an audience.
Is this really that soft spoken, English rose we know so well? You bet it is. Opposite her is Affleck who plays oblivious husband Nick with a fabulous naivety that enables audience to still like him even though you want to give him a swift back-hander. With co-stars like Carrie Coon as Nick’s twin sister and Kim Dickens as our main detective, audiences are given some relief from these two emotionally draining main characters with confident and capable secondary characters with specific mention of Neil Patrick Harris who plays an amazing Desi Collings.
Fincher fans are going to be very happy with Gone Girl, you know what you’re getting and it fills you up with that familiar sense of thriller suspense. Those who aren’t as familiar may be a little hungry for more action but the last hour of the film is going to leave Fincher newbies with their mouths so firmly on the floor that any issues with pace will soon be forgotten.
#Peace.Love.GoneGirl
