A twisted, crazy, yet nicely executed mystery...

Rating: 9/10 (9 November 2014)

When a director crafts a mystery thriller for the big screen, he not only has to be able to spin a good story from his scriptwriter, and show that story with the editor's prowess, and have it performed to ripeness with his actors, but he also has to carry the capacity to intrigue the audience enough and push them beyond their boundaries of excitement and discomfort. David Fincher is a master of these powers and that makes him an awesome filmmaker. He knows how to make a movie stick with you and he takes his viewers to some of the darkest places of the human mind.
"Gone Girl" is one of those good mystery thrillers that do not rely on suspense, thrills, or even a big twist at the end—all the typical makings of such a genre. In fact, I found myself guessing the remainder of the film's plot 30 minutes in. What kept me focused was the brilliantly written dialog and performances by the ensemble cast. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a down on his luck writer whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) has mysteriously vanished. As time of her disappearance grows longer, he becomes the prime suspect of her possible murder and the center of a media circus that is out for blood. The only solace he obtains is from his hipster twin sister Margo (Carrie Coon) and a well-known attorney (Tyler Perry), who has a $100,000 retainer.
The first hour of the film sets itself up as a realistic mystery, but then switches gears to a psychological drama that borders on horror when the truth behind Amy's disappearance unravels itself. This sudden revelation to a pseudo-film critic may seem like a Brian De Palma/noir femme fatale knockoff, but it actually is a bit of a study on how a terrible marriage can lead to psychopathy. The events that further transpire are messy, twisted, disturbing, gross, and yet exactly what it needs to keep the film going. Without giving much more away, I will mention that ending is quite good and gives the viewer something to think about.
Once again, David Fincher has surrounded himself with a great team. Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography evokes the natural lighting look combined with deep bluish hues to emphasis the bleak atmosphere. Kirk Baxter's editing is sharp and to the point in showing the plot's progression. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score adds an eerie atmosphere to the film. Fincher's direction displays his ability to capture exceptional performances from his cast. Rosamund Pike makes the movie as a very complicated, multi-layered character that we think we can understand, but we never really can comprehend. Carrie Coon fits in nicely as the supportive sister of Nick. She ranks as probably the most ordinary and down to earth character in the whole film. Even Ben Affleck delivers a fine performance. I never thought of him as much of an actor, but he plays an individual that is trapped in a horrific situation with plausibility. The sound mixing unfortunately lacks quality, making the dialog difficult to hear at times. It feels very much like a rough cut versus a final product. And while I like the ending, there are certain elements that seem to be overlooked or blatantly ignored if the events in the movie happened in a real scenario.
In short, "Gone Girl" proves itself as another great addition to Fincher's impeccable resume and may make the 2015 Oscar season.