treading old ground

Rating: 6/10 (4 October 2014)

A pass-the-time movie, occasionally gripping. Its origin in her novel is not particularly well disguised by the author's screenplay, with over-reliance on voice-overs. Her skill with dialogue, though, is excellent.
The story has so many genre echoes (SUSPICION [1941], MARNIE, FATAL ATTRACTION, BASIC INSTINCT etc etc) that in spite of the plot's twists and turns it still feels as if it's treading old ground. The pace is often unhelpfully leisurely, whilst the last fifteen minutes feel over-compressed, as if all concerned wanted to make an even longer film but realised the thriller element would suffer if any extra length was added.
Director David Fincher (SE7EN, FIGHT CLUB, ZODIAC), known for his dim, dark, moody shots, treads a line between style and stylistic tic. Personally I thought the look of the movie was needlessly indistinct.
Ben Affleck ambles pleasantly through another of his Ordinary Guy roles. Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry offer competent support. But the film really belongs to three excellent women who shine in a trio of succulent roles: Carrie Coon as Mr Affleck's twin sister, Kim Dickens as a smart detective, and Rosamund Pike as the wife with hidden depths.
In truth Ms Pike's bravura performance is the main reason to see GONE GIRL. She transcends the movie's limitations to dazzling effect.