Gone Girl Review

I'll just say right out of the gate that Gone Girl is by far one of the most incredibly crafted mystery/suspense films that I've seen in quite a long time. The performances alone is something worth praising with Ben Affleck bringing his A-game here perfectly playing up the protagonist that we root for in this crazy venture yet feel mixed about once certain deeper layers are revealed throughout. Joining alongside Affleck on this twisted joyride of suspense is Rosamund Pike as the missing wife that acts as the central piece to the story's mystery. The tension in this film can be perfectly described as a slowly burning stick of dynamite that constantly draws nearer to the point of detonation but never quite explodes leaving you in a constant state of anticipation. This is masterfully executed through the pacing of the various character twists and reveals that gradually make their presence known.

The supporting cast is great and is never tossed to the side as background expendables considering that every character brings forth something critical to the story. As for the look and feel of the film, David Fincher has crafted something visually engaging here in its tone and use of color scheme to effectively display the bleakness of the story's conflict. But what's especially notable is that, although Gone Girl is indeed a bleak tale to watch unfold, there was never a moment where I felt overly oppressed with depressing segments or bored by the dreariness of the atmosphere. There are a couple of short moments where the pacing could've perhaps picked up a little, but at the same time, I also understood the significance of keeping them as they were for essential character development.

This isn't a mystery action-thriller by any means, so I was happy to have went in with the right expectations of watching something more character centric than spectacle heavy. In regards to the big revelations that are sprinkled throughout the film (the allure of any great mystery), I thought that these were handled pretty well for the most part with the exception of one specific montage scene. There is a moment where one of the lead characters literally reveal their entire master plan to the audience that I felt didn't quite work in the narration. I supposed you can see this is where the acting, as strong as it was in the film overall, could've maybe used another take or better direction. 

Throughout the film, we're given many moments of Rosamund Pike's character speaking through her journals laying out bits and pieces of her intentions to the audience. It is specifically during these critical scenes to the story where I felt her performance may have leaned on the weaker side for me. Admittedly, this is an actress whose previous work I've never been much of a fan of, but I am fully aware that her talents are nothing to disregard as proven in certain scenes in this film. In comparison to her more powerful dramatic scenes here, it's through these narrations where she has to act as a calculating manipulator that felt a bit too forced for my taste. That being said, there's a certain "bloody bedroom" scene that happens later on that immediately reminds you what she's capable of in the right role.

As far as Ben Affleck goes, after seeing both The Town and Argo which were some of my favorite films in the past few years, I've been constantly gazing upon the cinematic horizon for his next starring or supporting role. In both of those films alone, not only did he completely knock it out of the park behind the camera as a director, but he also simultaneously delivered a captivating performance which is quite the feat. Even though Gone Girl certainly doesn't disappoint in showcasing his talents as an actor, I never quite felt that powerful presence that I was really anticipating being carried over from his most recent films. I honestly didn't feel that there was much for him to do here in terms of dramatic tension even though his character was suffering through the worst scenarios out of everyone in the story. 

It almost felt like a very "to the book" generic type of delivery instead of him really stretching out his talents to deliver something a bit more surprising. However, this can all be geared towards the overall direction and character writing involved resulting in Affleck's more occasionally somber performance actually complimenting Fincher's vision. Speaking of that overall vision, I'll end the review here to keep things spoiler safe in saying that Gone Girl is a highly engaging mystery with great performances, alluring cinematic direction, and some of the best storytelling that I've seen in quite some time revolving this particular genre of film. If I may be so bold, I'd say Gone Girl is a true cinematic highlight of the decade where mystery-suspense films are concerned. 

Rating: 9/10