Jaw-dropping twists around every corner.

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2014)

There isn't a lot that hasn't already been said about David Fincher's latest murder-mystery Gone Girl. It only took the opening weekend for film reviews everywhere to be saturated with the buzzwords that are most certainly applicable to the film's effect and atmosphere, but not necessarily worthy of hyperbole. I haven't read Gillian Flynn's novel, I bought it a long time ago but haven't gotten round to it. I know want to read it just to get under the character's skin a little more. The film excels when its getting under the characters but moreso when it's pure chaos. It has a lot of interesting gender politics about the representation of men and women in the media, especially under rose-tinted or poo-tinted lenses. Although Fincher's portrayal of the media are quite cartoonish - especially with Missi Pyle who plays it like she would in a more radiant comedy - the absurdism is part of what the film has to say.
It's disturbingly accurate too; straight after coming out from the cinema, the news in our car reports on a missing girl. But it's not just a zeitgeist, the dissection of marriage and the projections that we put on each other are studied with a heated laser pointer. It's all about the masks we wear and our subsequent breaking points. There are few scenes more compelling than the unraveling "Cool Girl" montage, perhaps one of the finest moments of Fincher's oeuvre thus far. It's a shame that it's more or less the peak. Not to say the rest of the film doesn't have its moments, it does, but I did find much of the framing of it frustrating, mostly regarding the way the narrative stops and starts around news reports. Its opening act is pretty mild. There's an odd approach to the film where things feel a little off. Performances outside of our leads are overly rigid, outside of a strong featured supporting cast with Kim Dickens, Carrie Coon, Tyler Perry and Scoot McNairy bringing a fleeting Argo reunion.
Ben Affleck however, plays it loose and grounded. It's been noted that he's an ideal lead for the film, not only because you can like and dislike him simultaneously but because he's experienced public scrutiny like Nick Dunne has. Rosamund Pike is confident, elegant, calculating and cold. She truly makes you believe in the darkness of Amy Dunne but also the beacon that endears everyone to her. Fincher does a great job of balancing out the way we feel about the two of them, tipping the scales for and against at every turn. I am less enamoured with the way the film treats its third act, especially upon reflection. There feels like far too many liberties and oversights, unresolved moments prior awaiting payoff. It's in the nature of films like this, particularly Zodiac where paths are abandoned. But it also suffers a similar problem as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo where the end rushes to the finish line without digging back under the character's skin for one last look.
The score contributes a lot to this distance, great elsewhere but misplaced here. However, this doesn't drag the film down, it mostly confirmed the way I felt about it the whole time. The editing and cinematography are pretty terrific, but relatively understated for his work, but in a positive way that doesn't interfere with the story. Fincher has been made a big deal out of recently for his meticulous nature, and I agree, The Social Network demonstrates his ability remarkably especially lately. Perhaps I had my expectations for his work too high but I just found Gone Girl a little clumsy at times. Maybe I scrutinised it too hard, the way people scrutinise Nick. I just feel like Fincher is holding himself to a lower standard than he has the potential for. Anyway, it's a very good thriller with some jaw-dropping moments, not quite the great one people want to call it now but it certainly has a lot to say.
7/10