A respectable adaptation of a superior property

Rating: 7/10 (10 December 2015)

Gone Girl was an excellent thriller novel; brilliantly written and complex, it built on the suspense before undoing itself with an awful ending. Bold, but too anticlimactic. So it's pretty cheeky to promise the film with have a new ending but then not change anything. Still, Gone Girl is a solid 4 star mystery thriller. Nick Dunne tries to solve the disappearance of his wife, who he had a troubled relationship with, but everyone thinks he did it. David Fincher directs so you know you're in for something interesting. That prediction was correct. Fincher is a stylistic and meticulous director who never fails to deliver on stunning cinematography even in the most mundane scenes. He delivers once again. He and the cast are probably what led to the film being so successful. Ben Affleck is still a little muted, but this is a surprisingly good performance from him. Carrie Coon is excellent as his sister, while even Tyler Perry is surprisingly good. The show is stolen by Rosamund Pike, whose brilliant and chilling villainous performance creates one of the best movie characters of 2014. Simultaneously terrifying and sympathetic, she completely owns the film.
GG is a thematically complex and relevant study of marriage and relationships, and, crafted with typical Fincher pessimism and haunting style, it is one of the ultimate 'Do not watch on a date' movies. There is a shocking scene of violence which was probably alone responsible for the 18 certificate in the UK which is handled very well, while despite the lack of action otherwise suspense is ably maintained throughout. Pulling off the novel's structure on film was always going to be hard, but the film tells the story coherently, although the mid film twist is deployed a little too early. GG is undeserving of its place in the IMDb Top 250 ultimately though. It's too long, it's detached at times and it all feels a bit far fetched. It doesn't always connect with its audience due to its commitment to relentlessly dour visuals and dialogue, while as mentioned earlier that ending is a big anti-climax. I'm satisfied with the movie overall and this is a strong thriller in general that is worth your time.
8/10