twisty, engrossing tale

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2015)

A man's wife goes missing, setting in motion a media frenzy that affects not only the husband, but family, lovers, neighbours and law-enforcement. There is biting satire to be had here, most notably on the institution of marriage. Why some people get married, and why some others stay married, defies all logic, and this narrative takes that premise to the extreme. The inanity of our media-soaked culture is also caught in the cross-hairs, as dumb tabloid TV personalities are revered, while peripheral players to the central drama clamour for their attention. Ben Affleck does an outstanding job as the hard-to-pin-down Nick Dunne. A few men will squirm in self-aware discomfort at some of the decisions Nick makes. Rosamund Pike gets to test her range and does not miss a beat, while Neil Patrick Harris takes on a tricky role, making the incredulous credulous. He is perhaps the only character who comes closest to receiving unreserved pity from the audience. The superlative element here is Fincher's pacing. The narrative is a masterclass in setting up and paying off on active questions, with three put in place and answered in each act. And it is the third act that will test the tolerance of some audience members, but delivers, for me, the deliciously dark ending this story requires. As much as we'd love to see pure justice delivered, it is, more often than not, the tawdry compromise offered up here that prevails. One of Fincher's best, and that's saying something.