Watch the trailer of Gone
Girl and it comes across as a fairly plain and straight forward suspense drama.
One where a man’s wife goes missing, an event that gets plenty of media
coverage, and slowly starts appearing like a possible case of foul play, perhaps
on the part of the husband. Watch the movie, and you’ll realize that it’s so
much more. As with David Fincher’s other works, Gone Girl is deep, and though it gives the audience the pseudo
sense of being straight forward, it isn’t. The narrative is unhurried, but also
manages to sustain viewer interest, during its long two and a half hour
runtime. While Gone Girl isn’t a
gruesome murder mystery like Se7en,
there are moments where you see its influences. The characters are strong, and the
bulk of the movies strength rests on the suspense filled character development.
The narrative is successful in having you eat out of its palm, until later when
the audience is let to realize this. Ben Affleck is impressive in his laid back
portrayal of the Nick Dunne character, his blankness fitting incredibly well. The
spectacle of Gone Girl though is Rosamund
Pike who does splendidly as both the American sweetheart, and the ice queen.
Her perfect performance is an embodiment of the complex ‘piece of work’ that the Amy character is.
Also worth mention is Carrie Coon, who plays the role of Nick’s sister, Margo
Dunne, and Kim Dickens who plays Detective Rhonda Boney. These characters don’t
feel special, but are integral to the plot, and their supporting performances are
excellent. In keeping with the dark mystery mood of the movie, the video has a
generally dull subdued tone to it, with no bright vibrant colors anywhere. Gone Girl is easily one of the most
interesting movies I’ve seen in 2014, and proof that David Fincher never ceases
to amaze. With its emphasis on people’s varying perspectives, and a gripping
plot that has a fair share of plausible twists, I’d strongly recommend Gone Girl to those interested in the
Mystery Drama genre.
My Recommendation: Watch
It + (A sophisticated drama thriller, with impressive performances)
