Disappointing third act brings the film down.

Rating: 4/10 (21 February 2015)

When you break it down, Gone Girl was practically guaranteed to succeed. It has all the necessary components to be a hit film. Based on an internationally best selling novel and with David Fincher at the helm. Director of some of my favorite films including 'Fight Club', 'Seven', 'Panic Room' and the semi-biographical and surprisingly engaging, 'The Social Network', he has barely put a foot wrong in his career thus far. Ben Affleck, who is often hit and miss, pulls in a wholly believable performance. Rosamund Pike, who often appears quite stiff in her roles seems to fit perfectly with her character and her somewhat emotionless performance is perfect for this role. Add to that a wonderfully hypnotic soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor and you've got yourself a hit, right? Unfortunately this is not quite the case, as Gone Girl proves that it's whole is not equal to the sum of it's parts. The film begins with a suspenseful first act and an intriguing 'whodunit' feel that keeps you asking the right questions until we're introduced to some satisfying twists and turns in it's second act where things really heat up. It's by the third act though that Gone Girl begins it's steady decline in to unbelievability and fails to answer many glaring questions and plot holes that leave you with more questions than answers by the credits roll. I respect a film that encourages the audience to think and ask questions, sparking healthy post viewing debate. However, the questions I had when this film reached it's unsatisfying conclusion where not the existential, moral dilemma type questions that cause you to ponder the films deeper meaning and intricate metaphorical elements. What I was questioning was the validity of the films plot arc. I have no trouble accepting what would traditionally be an unbelievable turn of events in the real world, suspending disbelief is essential in most film viewing because we're not watching a documentary. Though when the lead character choices and actions of supporting cast do not sync with the verisimilitude of the film, one cannot help but become distanced by the implausibility of the events even when in the context of the fictional film world. There are plenty of mediocre films out there but it's particularly disappointing when one with so many strong individual elements still falls flat.