I am actually
quite amazed that director David Fincher was not honored with a Best Director
nomination for Gone Girl. It isn’t
that I believe the film to be better than the onslaught of heavy drama that
followed it in award season, or even that this is one of the filmmaker’s best
films, but the manner in which Fincher was able to elevate the material shows
sophistication and skill. What could have been a simple and sloppy exercise in
campy entertainment is instead a spectacularly complex cinematic experience.
Fincher’s pristine visual style enhances and compliments the dark adult tale
adapted from the Gillian Flynn bestseller.
Simultaneously
satirizing both the modern marriage and the media machine driving the news in
this country, Gone Girl begins as a
simple missing-persons narrative. On the morning of their fifth wedding
anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) returns home to find a crime scene and
his wife missing. As a massive investigation into the disappearance of Amy
Dunne (Rosamund Pike) takes place, evidence begins to point towards Nick as the
main suspect. Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) digs deeper, only to
discover that the couple’s seemingly perfect life was rife with marital
distress. This evidence is enough to convict Nick in the court of public
opinion long before actually being charged with a crime.
Gone Girl
doesn’t have a twist in the plot as much as a complete reversal of direction in
the narrative less than halfway through the film. This makes it somewhat
difficult to talk about the very things that make the movie so effective,
though it all comes down to excellence in each of the individual elements of
filmmaking. The actors are superb, from the perfectly cast Affleck to the
surprising against-type supporting performances by Neil Patrick Harris and
Tyler Perry. Fincher once again utilizes the talents of Trent Reznor and
Atticus Ross for another well-matched score, and Jeff Cronenweth’s immaculate
cinematography is perfectly balanced against the campy chaos of the
narrative.
Despite being
one of the most rewarding film experiences for intellectual audiences seeking
entertainment and doing quite well at the box office, there is a surprising
lack of special features in this package. The construction of the physical
package is impressive, with a box set that includes a Blu-ray and Digital HD
copy paired alongside a miniature copy of one of the “Amazing Amy” children’s
books featured in the film. As far as actual extras on the disc, there is only
one. Fortunately, it is the best special feature that fans could ask for, with
Fincher providing one of his famously informative commentary tracks.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 9.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
Special Features: 7.5/10
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