Better Than Average Mystery - Gone Girl

Rating: 6/10 (16 September 2019)

Rosemund Pike gives a Joan Crawford-type performance in this mystery thriller also starring Ben Affleck. But make no mistake; Pike steals the film away from Affleck with the greatest of ease. Although not in the same category as Meryl Streep as an actress (she just does not have the sincere believability that Streep has). Pike is a formidable actress. She is good-looking (better looking than Crawford or Streep), sexier than Crawford or Streep, but not as genuine or believable as Crawford or Streep. Crawford was a great actress purely based on her iron will which was clearly present on her screen persona; Pike has that commodity in common with Crawford. Crawford and Pike are both chilling and threatening; Streep is not. We as an audience believe that Streep is vulnerable, but would scoff at the idea that either Crawford or Pike had even the remotest chance of being vulnerable. And that is what separates Pike from other actresses of this era. She is incapable of being vulnerable. No one would believe for a second that she could be vulnerable. It would be like being asked to believe John Wayne in a lead role of a gay-oriented film is vulnerable. I've seen all of Pike's films and am continuously fascinated with her persona, even though she gives exactly the same performance time after time.(just like John Wayne). And ultimately, she is a very bankable star.