David Fincher’s Gone Girl Review

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck

David Fincher’s most recent foray into film was as exciting as ever. Fincher has been the go-to director for dark storytelling since his second film, “Seven”. Since then he has been nominated for several Oscars and even won a Golden Globe for, “The Social Network”. He seemingly cannot do wrong and his most recent film, “Gone Girl”, really shows the talent he has become.

Gone Girl was adapted from a novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, and though Fincher’s directorial magic shines, the story is what ultimately carries the film. The big reveal comes about an hour into the two and half hour film, which allows for the feeling of a second film with the same cast of troubled characters

SEMI – SPOILER ALERT

The story begins with Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck, at a bar getting a bourbon. But we quickly end up back at his house watching a suspiciously calm Nick call the police because of a broken table, an open door, a missing wife and other suspicious circumstances.

As the police conduct their investigation into the disappearance of Nick’s wife Amy, played by  Rosamund Pike, more is revealed and Nick looks increasingly like the culprit. Television news programs start to suspect Nick as the killer, and a smile at the press conference doesn’t do him any favors.

Right when the viewer is starting to think Dunne has done something terrible the film cuts to a free, driving and very much alive Amy Dunne.

That’s when we get a look into the mind of Amy and the meticulous planning of her own murder. We begin to see her not as a victim but a ruthless and petty femme-fatale.

Neither of these characters are likable and the next hour and a half is a deep character study of Nick, Amy and two more characters we are introduced to played by Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry.