Definitely going to ruffle feathers on this review. When I got home from Comicon I decided to watch a movie last night and put on Gone Girl (trying to catch up). Gone Girl is a very well made completely preposterous movie that I just couldn’t get behind. I realize I’m in the minority on this one and I’m ok with that.
It’s very hard to talk about Gone Girl without giving away spoilers. Basically it is about a man named Nick played by Ben Affleck who’s wife played by Rosamund Pike is missing. A detective named Rhonda begins to suspect Nick of murdering his wife.
All the performances are good in Gone Girl. It is well directed by David Fincher using his typical harsh lighting and overall style.
I really loved the commentary it gives on our 24 hour news cycle although I’m not sure we needed two TV women in Missi Pyle and Sela Ward. Carrie Coon, Neal Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry are all good in their various roles. Of the entire cast I actually thought Pike was the weakest performance-wise. Again, I know I’m in minority on that one. It was very predictable and one note.
All that said, the movie requires the viewer to accept a character makes and executes a plan with perfect precision, never making mistakes. To me it was a preposterous twist I just couldn’t buy. Nobody is that perfect. It made the character a lot less interesting because he or she could do no wrong. And then the ending was bizarre and impossible to believe. It made no sense given everything we have been told about either characters. There is no way. I was left thinking again and again throughout the movie ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’.
Because this particular character twist is so over-the-top their actions and story became very predictable. They are the psychopaths we’ve seen a million times in a million other movies (and law and order episodes for that matter).
Occasionally I will like a predictable movie that does what it’s trying to do well but usually that is because I bond with a character or it has special effects or other unique appeal. I didn’t have that in Gone Girl. It reminded me of a movie like The Village or Signs (not that bad) but slickly made, good performances but a plot that defies credibility and made me groan.
I just didn’t buy the plot so despite good performances and interesting commentary, the movie was in the end a frustrating experience. I really didn’t care for it.
I’d also say it is a hard R definitely adults only for sexuality, violence, blood, gore and language.
That said, I can see if you can go with the scheming and plan than you’d like the movie. I just couldn’t. Sorry…
Content Grade- D, Overall Grade- C
I have not read the book it was based and so don’t know how it relates to the story in the book.
The book was so much better at explaining motivations for the characters.
The movie lacked a lot in that department, but I still liked it. And I do feel that Rosamund Pike played the character of Amy Dunne perfectly!
Cool! I’ve heard the book is better. Is the plot the same in the book or do they change it?
Pretty much the same, but more detailed so you can understand the motivations of the characters better.
That would be good. I just felt like it was all too perfect. No human being could create an execute such a plan. They needed to show her fumble a few more times. She seemed like a robot and so I didn’t engage with it. Like I said, well made and acted but I just couldn’t buy the story.
I just found her to be frightening, lol!
I would have found her much scarier if i had felt her and her plan was more realistic. I’m not the biggest Psycho fan but it’s super scary because Norman Bates feels like someone who could exist. Makes it super creepy but that’s just me
I haven’t seen ‘Psycho’ yet. Only Hitchcock films I’ve seen are ‘Rear Window’, ‘Vertigo’, and ‘Marnie’.
It’s super scary
I can see if you can go along with her plan and buy it than you will like the movie. I just couldn’t make that leap but it is very well made and done. And I did like the commentary on news.