A thought-provoking mind-bender, for movie connoisseurs

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2014)

Most of the negative reviews here come from people bringing up issues with the plot. They would be correct - there are some plot holes that could easily get in the way of your enjoying this film. However, I would contend that this movie should not be enjoyed as a plot-driven story. If you want a dark movie that will challenge your thinking and assumptions, while not letting you rest in cliché, this is for you.
*** SPOILERS BELOW ***
This film is about the juxtaposition of a leading man's role. After a quick introduction of the protagonist, you are genuinely challenged to believe whether he actually killed his wife or not. If you're used to rooting for a leading man, this leaves you up in the air. But the effect for me was that the tension of not knowing drew me in. Finally, about an hour into the movie, he lets us off the hook with the revelation that Amy is still alive and has staged her murder for revenge. This is where the movie shifts gears - now, we get to enjoy the experience of a leading man in another role reversal.
So many times in cinematic critique, we hear complaints about weak roles for women. David Fincher takes takes that stereotype and smashes it to a pulp. Nick (Ben Affleck), a tall, imposing hunk of near-Batmanesque stature, is completely threatened and dominated by a woman. Not only that, he is defended by a woman in Kim Dicken's Detective Boney. It's refreshing to see the dynamic from the other side, after so much worn-out imagery of abusive husbands.
Yes, there are plenty of plot-holes if you pay attention, but it's worth it to see the creepiness of Amy. Rosamund Pike gives a terrific performance as Amy - she comes across a chillingly frightening, intimidating, yet also brings a confidence and sexiness to Amy. So much so that for some brief seconds, men can actually start to think, "Ya know, she does bring up some good points there. I'd hit it."
Every acting performance was strong. Tyler Perry was well cast as the defense attorney, and gave a strong, understated performance. Rosamund Pike was of course fantastic - the female response to Sir Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter. Ben Affleck's performance as Nick Dunne bothered me at first - I thought it was weak until I realized what he and Fincher were doing with the character. I think they deliberately left Nick as a blank slate for the first half of the movie so that he could serve as a canvas for the audience to throw up their own impressions, prejudices, and judgments. Fincher also takes some time to make statements about how much the media can spin an impression of a person or event, right or wrong.
Gone Girl is a worthy investment of time and money - it won't leave you the same coming out of the theater as you went in. It will disturb you in a satisfying way. I'd recommend it if you like character driven movies and psychological introspection, much like Prisoners and Mud.