REVIEW: Gone Girl

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Fans of Gillian Flynn’s deliciously twisted novel can breathe a sigh of relief. The surprisingly faithful cinematic adaptation of her bestselling thriller beats the odds, becoming one of the rare instances when viewers won’t slouch out of the theater grumbling that the book was better. Granted, the film had a better chance than most, considering that Flynn tackled the screenplay herself and placed it in the care of David Fincher, one of the all-time great directors.

The result is an unsettling look at what happens to marriage when “happily ever after” disappears and a couple is forced to live out the “for better or worse” part of their vows. Combine that with a wickedly hilarious take on the mainstream media’s dire state, and the collaborators reveal that this supposed thriller was actually an ultra-dark comedy all along.

Ben Affleck (delivering his best performance in years) plays Nick Dunne, a husband who’s more than ready to call it quits on his marriage. On the morning of his fifth anniversary, he’s preparing to break the news to his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike, an early shoo-in for a Best Actress nomination), only to discover she’s not in their home. Instead, there’s broken glass and a flipped over ottoman in the living room, and a troubling drop of blood in the kitchen.

The investigating detectives (Kim Dickens and Patrick Fugit) try to remain impartial, but anyone who’s ever seen an episode of Law and Order knows the husband almost always becomes the prime suspect. As the media circus escalates and Amy’s revealing diary surfaces, the big question on everyone’s mind is, “did Nick Dunne kill his wife?” Viewers eventually get the answer, but it probably won’t put their minds at ease.

Readers are already intimately familiar with the disturbing events of Gone Girl, so part of the fun is experiencing them through newcomers’ eyes. Plus, Flynn and Fincher realize that fans of the novel are waiting to see how they’ll handle the story’s infamous narrative structure and copious plot twists. As such, they sadistically prolong the anticipation, like cats batting around their tiny prey before devouring it.

The razor-sharp dialogue and subdued performances – at least in comparison to the insane plot – help to elevate the pulpy material into a biting critique, particular since the shift to a visual medium allows Fincher and Flynn to intensify the novel’s simple frustration with the media into a scathing indictment.

I could spend pages on what I enjoyed about the film, but I want to specifically focus on Fincher’s eye for casting, particularly in the supporting roles. Months ago, when I heard Tyler Perry had been cast as Nick’s high-powered attorney, my eyebrows raised so much they practically flew off my head. I shouldn’t have worried – Perry delivers the best performance of his prolific career. He’s funny and radiates confidence, fully selling the narrative’s insistence that he’s always the smartest guy in the room.

Neil Patrick Harris is also compelling in a small role as Amy’s ex-boyfriend. Fincher isn’t exactly asking him to stretch as an actor, but Harris makes his character the end result of Barney Stinson (his lothario role in How I Met Your Mother) becoming a full-blown sociopath. The film’s lesser-known names deliver strong performances as well, particularly Carrie Coon as Nick’s twin sister and Missi Pyle as a hilariously irritating Nancy Grace-like cable news personality.

Gone Girl is most assuredly not for all audiences; but if you regularly find yourself stifling laughter at intensely inappropriate moments, you might just enjoy the film's gleeful darkness. It’s one of my favorites of the year.

Gone Girl is rated R for a scene of bloody violence, some strong sexual content/nudity, and language.

Grade: A-