Gone Girl (2014)
Cast includes: Ben Affleck (Argo), Rosamund Pike (Barney’s Version), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Kim Dickens (The Blind Side)
Director: David Fincher (Se7en, The Social Network)
Writer: Gillian Flynn (novel and screenplay)
Genre: Mystery | Drama (149 minutes)
“When I think of my wife, I think of her head… cracking open her scull, unspooling her brain… trying to get answers.” July 5th is their 5th wedding anniversary, and Nick’s not having a good day. Amy’s planning another one of her treasure hunts… “to prove what an asshole her husband is,” says Nick. Luckily, his twin sister Margo is always there to lend a sympathetic ear. Nick and Margo are the co-proprietors of The Bar, North Carthage’s newest pub. In flashbacks, we see Amy’s diary come to life. When she met Nick at a party in New York, she was “crazy happy.” “I’m the guy to save you from all this awesomeness,” he said to her. Apparently, they made their own awesomeness… but those days have been over for a few years. “Go home and fuck her brains out,” is Margo’s advice. That’s when Nick gets the call that something’s up. He gets home to find their cat Buddy sitting on the sidewalk because the front door is standing open. The coffee table is broken; no one’s at home, so Nick calls the police.
Normally, the police wouldn’t take immediate action, but they’re going to treat this like a missing person’s case. And there’s nothing about Nick, his relationship with Amy, or their home that doesn’t warrant a post-it note… for suspicious. Hey! Aren’t they jumping to conclusions? Yet… when you think about it, maybe Nick isn’t taking this as seriously as he should. We learn that Amy Dunne is none other than the former Amy Elliott… the child who inspired her mother’s famous series of children’s books… “Amazing Amy.” It was a mixed blessing for Amy because her mother wrote about everything Amy did… only making her accomplishments way better… a myth that wasn’t easy to live up to. Anyway, the Elliotts show up in North Carthage the next day to spearhead the search for Amy… events, TV appearances, a hotline and even a website. By contrast, Nick is surprisingly composed. Before long every smutty national TV commentator is on the case, and they find Nick undeniably guilty. Margo coaches Nick… “Don’t say she’s complicated. ‘Complicated’ is a code word for ‘bitch.’” But Margo looks on the bright side… “Anyway, she’s so crazy, who ever has her is bound to bring her back.”
Before long the police discover “Clue One”… part of Amy’s stupid anniversary game. And the audience discovers that this has only been Chapter One in a larger mystery. This is a long movie… nearly 3 hours. It takes many twists and turns we just won’t see coming if we haven’t read the book. It’s not a great artistic achievement, but it delivers exactly what most audiences go to see… an engrossing, twisted crime drama that goes down easy, like a tabloid scandal. Both the popular novel and the screenplay are by Gillian Flynn. The direction is by skilled suspense master, David Fincher, so there are few missteps as this page-turner unfolds. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike are excellent as the couple at the center of this twisted crime drama. “Do you know how hard it is to make a murder case without a body?” says Detective Boney. On the other hand, the media believes Nick’s “pie eating grin” is proof that he did it… (whatever it is).
3 popped kernels
Wife gone missing… husband is suspect number one
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language, Nudity, Violence, Sexual Content, Crime)
Audience: Young Adults
Gender Style: Neutral
Distribution: Mainstream Wide Release
Mood: Neutral
Tempo: Zips Right Along
Visual Style: Nicely Varnished Realism
Nutshell: Missing wife, accused husband
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure Entertainment
