A cynical, 21st Century look at love and marriage

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2015)

David Fincher is one of my favorite directors, and for good reason. He's able to take ordinary or middling source material and spin gold out of it. Such is the case with his latest film, GONE GIRL. GONE GIRL is the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, a seemingly happy married couple who live in a Missouri suburb. However, Nick's life turns into a living hell on the morning of their fifth anniversary when he comes home to find his wife missing, and eventually a suspect in her disappearance. In case there are people who haven't seen the film (or read the book), I'll stop here to avoid going into spoiler territory. The film, for me, is a success in every category. David Fincher has yet again created a visually rich and technically superb film that is beautifully shot. The performances were also incredible, from a perfectly cast Ben Affleck as Nick to Rosamund Pike as his wife, Amazing Amy. In fact, Rosamund Pike is a revelation in this film and, in my opinion, gives the second best female performance of 2014 (first place going to Essie Davis for THE BABADOOK). She does an excellent job at portraying a manipulative, conniving woman and Ben Affleck was perfect as her affable husband. It should go without saying that this film does not paint a pretty picture of marriage, and in fact is downright cynical towards it. In a more general sense, it takes a look at the facades we put up for others and the degree to which we attempt to influence other peoples' perception of ourselves. How much is truthful, and how much is a lie? To a lesser degree, the film also examines the way in which popular media affects public perception. This is portrayed in the film by a Nancy Grace stand-in, Ellen Abbott (Missi Pyle). And, believe it or not, Tyler Perry is great as Tanner Bolt, the lawyer that Nick hires to prepare his case, and also helps him do some image rehabilitation. Overall, I loved the film's acerbic wit and satirical edge, not to mention that the story takes a number of twists and turns that you won't see coming. This is one of my favorite films from last year, and I highly recommend seeing it.