Movies - Gone Girl

Since Gone Girl was the best novel I read last year and David Fincher is one of my favorite directors, I couldn’t wait to see the film version of the book. I have to say everyone involved did a superior job bringing the story to life. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy disappears on their 5^th Anniversary. Nick denies having anything do to with it, and Amy’s concerned parents believe him. Search and support groups are immediately formed and a national search is undertaken to find Amy. The police suspect Nick, but they really don’t have any evidence or motive ... until they find Amy’s diary.

 

I don’t want to give away any more of the plot, just see this terrific, layered and thrilling drama. The cast is incredible; British actress Rosamund Pike is note perfect as Amy. She captures all sides of the character and makes her character arc not only believable but inevitable. Neil Patrick Harris is subdued and a bit scary as Amy’s former boyfriend Desi. Patrick Fugit and Kim Dickens are right out of the book in the roles of the detectives who investigate Nick for Amy’s disappearance. And even Ben Affleck was acceptable as Nick. I honestly don’t think much of Affleck’s acting ability and the film would only have been better with a professional actor in the role. However, the part mostly called for Nick to be clueless and stand around with his mouth open. Even Affleck can do that. It helped that original author Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay, but Gone Girl the movie is faithful to, and almost as good as, Gone Girl the novel. Outstanding.

Rating: ****½ out of 5 stars