Scathing Commentary on Power of the News Media; an Excellent Thriller

Rating: 8/10 (11 September 2015)

David Fincher is, in my opinion, one of the most talented directors in modern Hollywood. I'm almost certain the man could tackle any project and create gold; for the record, I forgive him for ALIEN 3that was ruined by the studio, not him. GONE GIRL is what happens when Fincher dips his toe in the genre of Lifetime movies. Not surprisingly, it's way better than it probably should be. I was raised in a predominantly female household so I am very familiar with Lifetime and its brand of "entertainment", and I can't stand it. When I first read the premise of Fincher's GONE GIRL, I wasn't thrilled (it sounded sogeneric) but I was more than willing to give him a chance. He did not disappoint. GONE GIRL is the story of Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) Dunne. We're guided through the beginning of their happy relationship and follow up through their marriage and eventual hardship during the economic recession. Things in the Dunne household seem shaky at best when the unthinkable occurs. Amy goes missing one morning, on the day of their fifth anniversary. There's evidence of a struggle and fears turn to those of kidnapping. The town rallies around Nick as the investigation becomes a national spectacle, but the media isn't being too friendly with Nick's, almost eerily calm, demeanor and secrets come to light that paint him in a horrible light. As the story unfolds in Fincher's creative fashion, we will learn: did Nick Dunne murder his wife?
Even if the premise sounded depressingly generic, there was never a doubt that GONE GIRL would be a fantastically produced project. The cinematography, the music, the editingit's all got Fincher and crews' usual brand of excellence. The creative cutting and the structuring of the story into two very different halves is a fantastic bit of audience manipulation. We spend the first hour or so of the movie observing from one perspective as the investigation begins and the conservative fear-mongering news media (epitomized by Missi Pyle's Nancy Grace-esque Ellen Abbot) demonizes his every move. The evidence piles up and it becomes easier and easier to believe Nick might've killed his wife. Then the movie takes a drastic swing in the other direction. The truth about Amy's disappearance is way more twisted than Nick could've imagined. It all boils down the fact that Nick and Amy are one of the most messed up couples you'll ever meet. The flashbacks paint them in the usual light of your average struggling couple and GONE GIRL removes the sheen to reveal the insanity behind the scenes. The movie is an excellent piece of work and another success under Fincher's direction, even if it doesn't achieve the level of his greats (e.g. THE SOCIAL NETWORK, SE7EN, etc.). All of the elements come together to create a tense movie that grabs hold of you because you can't wait to see how it's all resolved in the end, and the pitch perfect casting makes it all the better.
Ben Affleck gets a lot of hate and I never quite understood it. He's done some garbage but most in Hollywood have. He's also done a lot of great stuff, both behind and in front of the camera. He's excellent in GONE GIRL. He's already got a vibe that makes him come across as kind of arrogant and aloof; it plays into the character of Nick as one of his major flaws that contributes to the public's growing mistrust of him. I was somewhat familiar with Rosamund Pike, primarily from DIE ANOTHER DAY (I won't hold that against her) and her supporting role in Edgar Wright's THE WORLDS END. She is 100% awesome in GONE GIRL. Amy is an incredibly complex character (for reasons I won't spoil here) and Pike handles it flawlessly. She's sympathetic, intelligent, beautiful, and, when he true nature begins to surface, she's terrifying. As the key characters in this movie, Affleck and Pike and perfectly cast. The supporting cast is equally powerful with Kim Dickens and Carrie Coon standing out. Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry both play against type to outstanding results; Harris as a skeevy, rich former flame of Amy's that hasn't quite let go of the past, and Perry as a hot-shot New York lawyer who's earned a reputation representing husbands with their head on the chopping block. GONE GIRL is a character-driven movie and the cast is at their best to keep the movie, at a whopping 2.5 hours, moving at a break-neck pace. Easy recommend as one of the better movies of 2014, and I can't wait to see Fincher's next.