Gone Girl Review: Welcome to Marriage

Ben Affleck in Gone Girl

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Gone Girl

A

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

David Fincher has made a career of making beautiful often very creepy films. Gone Girl, Fincher and Gillian Flynn’s adaptation of Flynn’s own 2012 novel continues that trend. Fincher’s sheer directorial prowess is on full display in Gone Girl as he manages to take a great story and adapted it to near perfection.

This review won’t discuss the plot of Gone Girl (for those wanting this discussion a full spoilers review is on the way). My theory on this is that you the reader of this review have either already read the book, or will prefer going into the film with as little knowledge of the plot as possible so that you may discover the plot on your own. In both cases reciting the basic premise of the film would be counterproductive. If you would like an overview of the plot of this film the trailer actually does a better job than any text description could.

What I’ll say in regards to the film’s storyline is that it works in all the way the plot worked in the book. Gone Girl is one of those stories that will either completely work for you or the seams will begin to show and it won’t. For me the story worked perfectly in the book and it works equally well in the adaptation. The plot presented has an intricate puzzle like structure that only begins to unravel when the story feels like unravelling. Every piece of the plot is weaved in perfectly and the pacing of this film is impeccable. There doesn’t feel like there is a shot that is out of place and the film moves along with a cold and deadly precision that has characterized Fincher’s filmmaking style many a time.

What’s left to talk about are the filmmaking aspects of Gone Girl all of which are executed to near perfection. It all begins in the acting as all the performances throughout Gone Girl are so spot on. Ben Affleck has never been better as Nick; Affleck just seems to have all the right mannerisms at all the right times making Nick into a fully three dimensional character whom the viewer is never quite sure of. There are some amazing supporting performances to back him up as well. Carrie Coon slides perfectly into the role of Nick’s twin sister Margo who has to play foil to her brother throughout the entire turn of events. Tyler Parry is somehow great in this film, playing a role that he’s seemingly been born to play. Even Neil Patick Harris is great playing a role that seems so counter to his normal type that it’s truly fascinating to watch.

But the true acting revelation of Gone Girl is easily Rosamund Pike. Pike is as big of a revelation and is every bit as great as Rooney Mara was in Fincher’s last film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The performance is so haunting yet so understanding and sympathetic to the trials and tribulations of her character. There are so many different notes that Pike is asked to hit as Amy and she never fails in playing all the dimensions of the character to a tea.

As has been scattered throughout this review Fincher is on his absolute A game throughout Gone Girl. There are so many little things that Fincher does throughout the film, like contrasting the way the camera feels for contrasting sections. Fincher’s camera will remain cold and precise in one moment to still yet dreamlike in others. Everything Fincher shoots has purpose, little flourishes like the great opening credit sequence to a brilliant intercutting of storylines in the middle of the film show that even in unspectacular moments Fincher is just a master.

Then there is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s magnificent score that if it weren’t for Fincher’s direction might be the best (or maybe just the best used) aspect of the entire film. The score punctuates so many moments so perfectly. It conveys such a wide breadth of emotions it’s staggering and yet it’s never overbearing unless the sequence demands it. The biggest compliment I can give the score is that it weaved with the filmmaking so well that there are sequences that no matter how beautiful the filmmaking is without that specific score they would never work (and these are in big and small moments, the score is extraordinary in both).

Gone Girl is a hauntingly beautiful adaptation of a great story. It uses the strengths of director David Fincher, the actors that populate the film, and the two composers that score it to perfect levels. Gone Girl is one of the best films of 2014 and a perfect way to kick off the big fall movie season.