To capture Gillian Flynn’s addictive mystery “Gone Girl” on the big screen is to portray the suspenseful, riveting crime drama and forcible page-turning book. David Fincher, director of “Fight Club,” “The Social Network” and “Panic Room,” has risen to the challenge by creating a thriller episodically arranged around twists and turns.
The script and plot seem to work seamlessly together to illustrate the treasured novel. As we watch Flynn’s creation come to life through Fincher’s work, the cutting dialogue lures the audience to question their companion. For the moviegoers in a relationship, those questions may have them squirming in their seats on the car ride home more than the movie itself.
While your nerves start to rattle as the deliciously dark movie unfolds, it’ll make you think twice about who you share not just a bed, but a life with. It’s only a date-night movie if you are confident you truly know the person next to you, and even then, you’re bound to set aside a chunk of your time after the date discussing opposing views, even hours after the movie has ended.
I’ll tell you this: the movie is a mischievous game, which aims to sway your sympathies with each twist in the story. Mysteries, cliffhangers, blood-curdling sex scenes, along with some sleeping-with-the-enemy provocations and nightmares of misogyny fill you with thrill and fear.
“Gone Girl” is a romantic love story and a murder mystery in one. You’ll be looking for a flashlight to cut through the darkness you’re left in. It’s a constant search for the missing puzzle piece in the jigsaw of horror.
The movie centers on the sickening yet enticing relationship between married couple Nick Dunne, played by Ben Affleck, and Amy Elliott, played by Rosamund Pike. Fincher followed Flynn’s lead and depicted the story in two parallel threads.
One thread illustrates Nick coming home after a morning outing and realizing that Amy, his wife of five years, is gone — completely missing. He sees signs of a struggle, the police are called in — a persistent investigation of police detective Rhonda Boney played by Kim Dickens takes place. With willing volunteers and media attention, the pieces form into a whole and point to Nick as the prime suspect.
The second thread is told through Amy’s diary, which begins by expressing the magical firework that sparked the instant the two locked eyes, followed by a perfect New York City marriage. The dreamlike marriage seems to come across a stumble when the recession, unemployment and a move to Missouri to be near Nick’s dying mother. Amy’s diary entries point to a troubled couple and accusations of Nick turning violent. But Amy’s diary is a mystery in itself.
The role of Nick Dunne is a perfect fit for Affleck; he effortlessly captures Nick’s surprising apathy, shameless charm and disheveled good looks. Affleck allows the audience to decide whether or not they should sympathize with him or be repulsed by him because after all he is the killer of his innocent, helpless and beautifully enchanting wife — or is he?
Similar to Nick, Amy is an intricate character to figure out. Pike is devilishly good at tempting the audience to adore her. As the events unravel, Pike is fascinating as she continuously messes with our expectations. Nick and Amy are a one disturbing couple and Pike and Affleck make them even more compelling.
The simple answer is hardly ever the right one, and there’s more to this case than what is on the surface. Readers of Flynn’s book know what that more is, and they keep their nail biting mouths quiet to the rest of theater — because some surprises are too sweet to be spoiled.
It’s clever and risky — truly tremendous. It’s absorbing and deep — magnificently memorable, an unsolvable puzzle, the mystery of another. In good times and bad, in sickness and in health, “Gone Girl” vows to be an intensely captivating noir.
