Immoral but disturbingly thrilling

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 2016)

A lot of people mistake the troubled act of Amy Dunne for an extraordinary and authentic payback. The decisions she made and the follow-up when plan A didn't succeed was something more than impulsive decision making. It is not Nick Dunne who 'changed' her or incited the troubles into her reality. He is merely a small detail in her transition from the 'All American Girl' to a complete psychopath.
First of all: Ben Affleck is Nick Dunne and Rosamund Pike is Amy Dunne. They strive to become a couple they don't want to end up as, but fail as Amy caught Nick red-handed with a younger woman, specifically, his student Andie. Over a year Amy endures the knowledge, while making time worthy by planning a disappearance of the most outrageous kind.
She stages the crime scene; accurately, fakes a pregnancy, drain herself of about half a quart of blood, befriends her not so bright neighbor and writes over three hundred diary entries. I don't feel as if it's something anybody could do, or even think of it, it's surreal to the verge of becoming comedic. So, she goes through all of that to revenge him. She even wants him dead. It's rather an immoral view on how to react to marital infidelity than an ingenious plan. Her determination is clear but her motive is just utterly extravagant.
And the story continues with the questions of her whereabouts and who killed/abducted her, until we meet her perspective. We finally get a grip of what's going on and we start to admire her. "Oh yes, give it to him Amy! He cheated on you he deserves to die in prison!" Because who does all of that for a husband who forced her to become 'one of those couples'?
Amazing Amy.
As you think the story caught the end, Amy Dunne ticks the last box off to be confirmed as the complete psychopath. She murders Desi Collins, the ex-boyfriend, easy manipulated, clueless, rich and spoiled but also troubled human as she vigorously slices his neck off. During a, also staged, intercourse.
She returns to her cheating husband, because she has killed a man in cold blood and is going blank on eventual misdeeds. She's in need of the attention. Allegedly raped and tied by her wrist yet she managed to hide the box knife under the pillow, get loose and cut his neck. All the drama for: the media circus, an even greater hatred from Nick towards herself and an indigenous payback.
It only confirms that the problems lie in Amy Dunne and Nick Dunne is an asshole for not dealing with the troubles when they occurred and instead saw the escape in his student.
Second of all: Gone Girl is the typical victim of a sloppy and inaccurate screenplay. Noticeable and annoying mistakes, such as the fact that Nick Dunne took a stroll down Sawyer Beach, but was only seen at The Bar after he took the trash out. We don't know for fact as we didn't see it. The fact that any hospital would never release a patient who's covered in blood, and wearing scrubs. Amy Dunne staged the scene with ounces of blood yet there was no injury indicating the wound as she was fully examined when she returned to the hospital in Missouri. A wound that would be visible to her head as she was bashed with the wooden stick that was later discovered by the police. And to lose so much blood would only make her weak, not ambitious about her leave, but we see her all smiley and energetic as she drives her car. Several slips from the usually precise director. A vision that surely didn't reach out to perfectionists such as myself. However, he did manage to make it an exciting and absorbing watch, adding the soundtrack and lights to press the tension in every scene. Without the second to last climax when Desi Collins takes the blame, it wouldn't be as fcked up. And that fcked up feeling is what's worth watching.
Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman were considered for the role ahead of Rosamund Pike, but both declined. I wouldn't want to see either of them as Amy Dunne, as they would've lifted the movie to become a better one than it deserves. Rosamund Pike was nominated for an Academy Award at the 2015 Oscars for her performance, but was outrun by Julianne Moore for 'Still Alice'. Fairly without doubt, Moore captured the audience on another level. The acting from Rosamund Pike is dull but consistent with its long-winded and exact expressions of contempt, indifference and false smiles which covered her outlook as the story unfolded. You don't particularly feel the pleasure of her success. If she doesn't, how could you?