Film Review -- Gone Girl

Based on the book by Gillian Flynn, who also adapted the screenplay, the film is directed by David Fincher and stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon. The beautiful and intelligent Amy Elliott Dunne (Pike) disappears from her home in North Carthage, Missouri, on her five-year wedding anniversary. Her husband, Nick (Affleck) quickly becomes the prime suspect in the case. Amy, the inspiration behind her parents' once-successful "Amazing Amy" children's book series and a lifetime New Yorker, was unhappy and lonely living in her husband's small hometown, having been forced to move after both of them lost their jobs as writers in NYC. With the last of her trust fund, she helps Nick buy a bar - The Bar - downtown, which he runs with his twin sister, Margo (Coon). As the idyllic life they knew slips further and further away, the disintegration of their marriage is told in (mostly) two perspectives - Nick's, who recounts the events after his wife's disappearance, and Amy's, who paints the viewers a picture, through flashback diary entries, of the couple's happier days in New York. As the truth about what happened to Amy unravels, the viewer is taken on a shocking ride full of twists, turns, and secrets. This film is one of the very few examples of a film being better than the book. I found the book, while gripping and suspenseful in its first half, to be ultimately unsatisfying, as I was very disappointed by the second half. In case someone hasn't seen it yet, I'll keep specifics to a minimum, but I found the ending to be completely unrealistic and unbelievable. Although the ending is kept pretty much the same in the film, for some reason it worked better on the screen. This, undoubtedly, is due mainly to Fincher, Affleck and Pike. The director does a great job in creating a brooding, mysterious and visually beautiful backdrop, with the film being perfectly paced and styled. All of the actors are excellent, but especially the two leads, who nail their characters and portray them exactly how I had pictured in the book. The plot, although much improved in film format, continues to be VERY weak in many spots, but ultimately the other well-done elements turn it into a surprisingly good film. I wasn't expecting to like it very much, based on my disappointment with the book, but Gone Girl definitely makes for an entertaining, impressive film. 

Should you see it: Yes

Grade: B+