As director David Fincher’s Gone Girl opens, Nick Dunne returns
home one morning to find his wife Amy missing. There are signs of a struggle in
their home, and he reports her disappearance to the police. As the search for
Amy goes on, what is initially thought to be a kidnapping becomes a possible
murder investigation. The case garners a huge amount of media coverage because
Amy’s childhood was the inspiration for a popular series of children’s books
authored by her parents, the Amazing Amy
series. Much of the attention focuses on Nick, whose odd behavior during the
investigation suggests he may be a sociopath and quite possibly, a murderer. Only
Nick’s sister Margo stands by him as the threads of his story, and his claims
of innocence, start to unravel.
Detective Rhonda Boney (played by Kim Dickens
of Sons of Anarchy) digs deeper into
the case. She finds evidence that the Dunnes’ marriage may not have been as
happy as it seemed on the surface. Flashbacks (and narration by Nick & Amy) detail the problems that the
couple was dealing with, including financial troubles, infidelity and domestic
disputes. A diary discovered by the police indicates Amy was afraid her husband
was going to do her harm. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg in a story
with more layers than a basket of onions, and more twists than a box of
Twizzlers. The film will keep you guessing, and even when you figure out some
of the plot, there’s still a surprise or two ahead.
Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s
bestselling novel (scripted by the author) is a sharp thriller, with a great
cast, led by Ben Affleck’s solid work as Nick and Rosamund Pike, who’s
brilliant as Amy. There’s also a sterling supporting cast including Tyler
Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, David Clennon and Carrie Coon as Margo. Fincher & his crew
give the film a cold, noirish look that matches the story’s dark tones. The
movie offers a somewhat cynical view of marriage & relationships; this is not a story of a good marriage, or a positive relationship. This is a tale with a somewhat cold & icy center. In the
end, neither Nick nor Amy is a person we particularly like or root for, and we
feel the most sympathy for Margo, and admire the savvy of Detective Boney, who
knows there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
Some critics have described Gone Girl as an “anti-date” movie, and it certainly isn’t a romantic comedy, or life-affirming drama. But if you’re looking for an absorbing thriller with a good story & some memorable performances, the film is worth checking out. Fincher, who’s directed films as diverse as Seven, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Social Network, does another fine job here. Gone Girl is finishing up its run in theaters, but a home video release should be announced soon. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym3LB0lOJ0o.
