Film Review: Gone Girl

With a variety of great films under his belt, David Fincher has risen to become one of the best directors in the Hollywood business. Coming off of the recent political drama House of Cards, Fincher has now set his sights on Gone Girl, with impressive results.

Gone Girl follows the story of Nick (Ben Affleck) and his wife Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike). Nick arrives home one evening to find his wife gone and a series of cryptic clues and broken furniture left behind. He finds himself embroiled with both the media (personified by Missi Pyle’s Ellen Abbott) and Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) in his search, but as things go along a seemingly ordinary mystery devolves into a web of lies and hidden secrets. Just as the police begin to question Nick’s honesty, so too does the audience question his integrity; did he kill his wife? Or if not, why and how did she leave him?

This burning debate gradually develops as the film swaps between the perspectives of Nick and his wife with flash backs whilst also bringing in new characters which have their own roles to play in the search. On top of a plot which consistently moves forward, the film weaves in detailed themes which are constantly on display; these include the difficulties of marriage, mental degeneration, keeping up appearances and the pressures from the media and other external sources. The film gets especially dark in its later act with often disturbing acts of violence permeating the haggard minds of the characters. The ultimate conclusion, however does stick out as rather confusing and maybe a little anti-climactic; I won’t ruin it here but you may well leave the film expecting slightly more closure, especially to Nick’s side of the story.

A movie of this genre thrives on its characters and those featured in Gone Girl are both detailed and often quite relatable. Ben Affleck does a great job of conveying the sheer frustration and isolation Nick feels from being unable to find his wife and constantly being hounded by the media, allowing the audience to put themselves in his perspective. Rosamand Pike is also brilliant as Amy, putting across the character’s deterioration over the course of the film. The flashbacks strewn about the film’s first act give us a lot of time to get to know the two and in doing so, we’re all the more curious as to what will become of their ultimate commitments to each other. The side characters in the film are also well done; Nick’s sister Margo (Carrie Coon) and his lawyer Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry) have important parts to play in the overall story arc and their own more light-hearted characteristics play off the main leads well. On the other hand Ellen Abbott’s character is one you will love to loath time and time again thanks to her endlessly senseless accusations. Gone Girl’s characters and plot stand on an equally tuned level, creating a steady level of quality across the board.

Gone Girl Film Review

Gone Girl is deftly paced, intelligent and complex, making it another winner from director David Fincher. The film’s slower developments and confusing resolutions may not ring true for everyone, but for those who want something beyond the usual predictable film tropes; this is most definitely one to watch.