David Fincher. He has some of the most stunning movies out there. Seven, Fight Club and The Social Network to name but a few. This time around he goes for something a little bit different,with Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Neil Patrick Harris along for the ride. The story to Gone Girl is about Nick Dunne (Affleck) who comes home one day to find his wife, Amy Elliott Dunne (Pike), is missing. He brings in the police and that is where I am going to leave you. I will not spoil Gone Girl for you, I can’t and won’t do it. I will give you a spoiler free review though so here we go.
Gone Girl is a fascinating movie. It’s incredibly real but at the same time surreal. The characters are people you know in your life but then they do the most off the wall intense actions which will leave you dumbfounded. I never say this, but it was a roller-coaster of emotions from start to finish and by the time the end credits roll you will be exhausted. I haven’t watched such an intense and engaging movie in a long time, I honestly can’t, and that is where Gone Girl excels, being utterly unforgettable. Our leads are superb, in particular Pike who gives the best performance of her career, I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t get an Oscar nod at least. Then comes Affleck’s Nick Dunne, who is very much a mystery for most of Gone Girl as you get many different perspectives on him, with Ben Affleck bringing his A game to Gone Girl.
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| Please just accept me as Batman and we can all move on with our lives. |
Unfortunately it’s not all a bed of roses. Some of the characters are a bit on the clichéd side which could be forgiven in a lesser movie but not in Gone Girl. Then there is Neil Patrick Harris, who gives in a cartoonish performance as Desi Collins, a cheap knock off of Barney Stinson. I know I said that the surrealism of the movie at times adds a great layer to Gone Girl but Harris felt slightly out of place. His character feels like Bizarro Barney; Imagine all the ridiculousness of Barney thrown into a real world situation and it just comes off as odd.
There is then the time, clocking in at just two and a half hours, Gone Girl feels bloated. I have to say, as the movie came to its conclusion, I wished that Gone Girl had ended just fifteen or twenty minutes sooner. These are however a few nitpicks but they are still nitpicks which take away the perfect score Gone Girl deserves. What surprised and intrigued me was the level of humour that was so organic and felt well earned. The preview screening was packed and roaring with laughter whenever a situation called for it. It was great, and again added another appreciated layer to the film.
Between the stunning scene set ups, the outstanding performances and the intense atmosphere, Gone Girl flirts with perfection. Unfortunately a bloated length, a clichéd supporting cast and a cartoonish Neil Patrick Harris takes away from this almost masterpiece. I'm being harsh but with such strong expectations you have to. Let me know what you thought. Too tough or too nice? Did it hit perfection or was it just shy? Catch you later.
3/5
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