The first Oscar contender for me...a brilliantly made, mind bending thriller with a breakout role that will leave you mesmerized

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2014)

Yesterday, before I saw this film, if you had asked me to list my favourite directors I'm not sure if David Fincher would have been mentioned. I just wouldn't have thought of him. Then as the credits rolled on Gone Girl...I was just mesmerized by how brilliantly he crafts a thriller. The eccentricities of his characters and stories. Add in to that he has directed some of my favourite films including Se7en, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Game and The Social Network to name a few. The man has a style all his own and he draws you into the darkest of worlds and makes you believe every minute of it. Gone Girl is a slow paced, carefully executed mystery that I am absolutely certain will go into the annex of Hollywood history right up there with Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, Psycho...films about stalkers or psychotic individuals where a star has shone in their role by being completely and utterly, mouth dropping insane. There are lines delivered in this film and scenes experienced that will stay with me for years. I will go back and watch this movie to experience those scenes. I actually sat in the theatre recognizing that I was living what will be talked about as "that classic scene." Fincher truly has created a masterpiece...again. Gone Girl is this years Prisoners and it best get the accolades it deserves.
Ben Affleck is getting an awful lot of press lately with his mainstream film career ahead of him as Batman. This role takes him back to basics and reminds us that he is talented for a whole other reason. He shows an intensity and a down to earth, very real quality that makes his character so damn easy to hate and love at the same time. Its a subtle performance compared to some of the more emotional ones in the film but he leads this cast very well and I think watching him again will only make you appreciate it more each time. If you look at Fincher's film history he does an incredible job at surrounding the main characters with incredible supporting characters. In this case you have stand out performances from Tyler Perry (maybe one of the best roles I've ever seen him in), Carrie Coon (supporting actress nod would not be out of the question), Kim Dickens (same for her), Patrick Fugit (lesser scale for him...found him a little underwhelming compared to everyone else), David Clennon and Lisa Banes. Dickens is particularly great in a very "Fincher-esque" type role as a Police Detective who thinks she always one step ahead of Affleck. Also particularly terrific was Neil Patrick Harris in a dark and twisted role as a man completely obsessed with our lead girl and yet has no idea what he's in for when he goes up against her. Harris also has the honour of being a mainstay in one of those scenes mentioned earlier that will not soon be forgotten by anyone watching this. And finally we leave the best until last. We still have a lot of movie viewing ahead of us in 2014 but at this point if Rosamund Pike didn't walk away with the Best Actress award then the Oscars are a sham. Sweet innocent Pike who has always been sort of back drop in most movies is absolutely mind blowingly insane. She is jaw dropping in this performance and it gives me chills when I think about her dialogue delivery and certain scenes. She'd be the last actor I'd pick for this until I've seen her do it. This might be her masterpiece. She is evil and absolutely amazing. See this...FOR HER.
Gone Girl is excruciatingly long for this type of film (much like Prisoners was last year.) It does even feel long at times considering you know that Fincher will end it when he's good and ready and even then he might not give you everything you want out of an ending. I was prepared for it. I only fault a film for being long if there isn't a distinct purpose behind it and I think every second of Gone Girl was necessary. We become so entranced with these characters that you want to see how every little detail unravels. I must admit (and I don't consider myself a genius in these matters) that I figured out the direction of the film very early on with just one clue. That didn't even remotely ruin the film for me because we then get to see how and why and where everything plays out. I don't often talk about musical score either because what do I know about music but again we have an Oscar winner Trent Reznor who worked with Finch before and his music is distinct and noticeable and haunting and sets a painstakingly created tone. Gone Girl definitely won't be for everyone. It is a critical darling sort of film but in my opinion it deserves it! A well acted and brilliantly crafted crime thriller. 9/10