Gone Girl (Rated C)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris,
Tyler Perry
Genre: Mystery thriller
Dwight's rating:3.1/5
Just when you think you've seen it all and that there are no new movie ideas or concepts, along comes a film to renew your faith in cinematic originality and creativity.
Over the past quarter century, movie theaters have largely been a repository for endless sequels and recycled themes. But every once in a while, there can be some surprises; Quentin Tarantino ("Pulp Fiction", "Inglourious Basterds", "Django Unchained") has been particularly good at this.
David Fincher is another director keeping things fresh and interesting. In the past two decades, he has been at the helm of some memorably outstanding films, including "Seven", "Fight Club", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "The Social Network" and "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo".
In his latest flick, "Gone Girl", Fincher serves up a wonderful buffet of excellence. We get a little of everything; a smile-inducing, jaw-dropping mystery and thriller, yet still darkly amusing.
The foundation for this excellence is the eponymous book on which it's based. In a move sure to please fans of the popular novel, author Gillian Flynn also wrote the screenplay. The story involves star Ben Affleck's character Nick Dunne arriving home on the fifth anniversary of his wedding to find that his Amy is missing. As a police investigation into her disappearance progresses, suspicions are raised that Nick may have killed Amy.
That all sounds relatively simple. But it is at the heart of a rich tapestry of complex storytelling. The mystery of Amy's disappearance unravels from different points of view - at first, largely Nick's, and then largely Amy's - and through it all we learn much more about the couple and their marriage.
"Gone Girl" is also a wonderful essay on the state of the U.S. news media today. We see how quickly public opinion about Nick can change with every bit of information revealed.
These details are all buttressed by amazing performances. This is arguably the best acted movie so far this year with the best ensemble. Most outstanding of all is British actress Rosamund Pike as Amy, who will almost certainly earn an Oscar nomination for an unbelievably complex performance. Pike effortlessly cycles through nearly every emotion imaginable; it would be easy to believe more than one actress is playing Amy.
Affleck is also solid, as are all the supporting players, especially Carrie Coon (one of the many good reasons to watch HBO's engaging series, "The Leftovers") as Nick's sister, and Kim Dickens as the detective leading the investigation.
The shocking plot twists keep coming, especially in the second act.
By the start of the third hour (it's nearly two-and-a-half hours long), even though the story begins to take on some bat crazy qualities, it still remains inside the realm of possibilities, and is still rewardingly entertaining, keeping you guessing straight up to the end.
As we are at the end of the year and entering Oscar season, look for a few nominations for "Gone Girl". Besides Pike, Flynn may get an adapted screenplay nod, and possibly Fincher for directing. And of course, as it is a refreshing breath of air, it would not be surprising to see it on that list of the most outstanding films of the year.
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
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