#REVIEW: Gone Girl

Gone Girl, based on the book of the same name, is a psychological thriller that keeps audiences glued to their seats. It explores the consequences and implications of long term relationships, with a star studded cast of Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris. 

After two years of wedded bliss, Nick Dunn (Ben Affleck) and Amy Dunn (Rosamund Pike), both lose their jobs and decide to move back to Nick’s home town in Missouri to care of his dying mother. As time passes, the Dunn’s become more distant with each other as their seemingly beautiful relationship slowly unwinds. Then one day out of the blue, Amy disappears, leaving Nick as the primary suspect following a series of sinister and convoluted events and circumstances. During the first half of the film, the audience is presented with Nick’s side of the story in present time while also being shown Amy’s side of the story in the form of flashbacks from her diary. It presents an interesting juxtaposition between past and present leaving the audience to make their own conclusions. The second half of the movie unites the two viewpoints presenting an ominous picture of what is really going on behind the scenes as Nick tries to prove his innocence amid accusations of murder.

The main theme of the film was to serve as a cautionary tale for all long term relationships. It seeks to show the catastrophic danger posed to the health of long term relationships if appropriate intervention and communication are not established.  The film also satirizes the news media and ridicules its attempts to scrutinize every aspect of the lives of high profile individuals. It sends a powerful message one likely echoed by anyone who has fallen victim to the sometimes overbearing news media.

With David Fincher at the helm, the filming and photography of Gone Girl was thought provoking. The lighting was used in a highly effective manner. There were lots of dark scenes to portray the grim mood of the first half juxtaposing with a number of bright scenes to portray the more optimistic mood of the second half. There were lots of close up facial shots to allow the actors to set the tone for scenes with their emotions and expressions. This was a great tactic because it constantly kept the audience guessing and on edge as to what was going to happen next. It also resulted in some incredible acting performances most notably by Rosamund Pike in her portrayal of the psychologically troubled model citizen, Amy Dunn. This was arguably her best and most complex role to date.

Gone Girl will likely be a commercial hit largely because of the extensive fan base of the book. It offers some great entertainment while providing viewers with a thought provoking plot.

20th Century Fox releases gone girl today. Check out the trailer below:

[Review written by: Abdullah Mir]