Gone Girl: David Fincher's stylish adaptation of yet another popular novel

Today, I look at David Fincher's hit new film Gone Girl, and adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel.

Gone Girl:
Nick Dunne is your average guy living in a broken marriage with his wife Amy, the daughter of a rich author couple. But when Amy goes missing, it sparks a police investigation and mass media panic, and Nick becomes the target of a witch-hunt. But there's more to this seemingly open-and-shut case than either the police or the public think.
      A scathing attack on media's influence over public opinion, the way the media and police treat victims and their testimony (i.e. believing without question), the "social masks" we wear, and the way the economy and other influences effect marriages, the movie is a little more layered than I originally thought, and the idiotic TV personalities featured in the film are both frustrating but also provide some black humor to the film.
     Ben Affleck's performance as Nick was sympathetic and likable, despite his many flaws and rather gray moral compass. I was sort of skeptical when I heard he was going to be playing the lead but I was pleasantly surprised how strongly he owned the role. Rosamund Pike does a great job as Amy, and I can't delve too much into her performance, but what I can say is that she also subverts expectations and the role plays to her strengths. Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry didn't have as much to do as you'd think, but I was pleased with what they did. Carrie Coon (The Leftovers) is excellent as Nick's caring and intelligent twin sister Margo. Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit (who plays a dumb police officer), Casey Wilson, model Emily Ratajowski, and up-and-coming actor Scoot McNairy play a variety of interesting supporting roles. While they are all sort of cookie-cutter characters, they all do a good job bringing their characters to life. Again, while not spectacular, they are convincing.
      The screenplay by Gillian Flynn, the author of the 2012 novel, is witty and fast-paced, but also feels slow enough to build some tension. It's a pretty smart take on a relatively old concept, that I thought has been beaten to death over the years. Because it's written by the original author, it stays very true to book. (Disclaimer: I've never read the book, but may in the future, but from what I understand, it doesn't stray too far from the beaten path.)
      The music by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Atticus Ross is atmospheric and ominous, but also industrial-sounding, adding a certain coldness to it that fits the dark tone of the film.
      David Fincher's style-heavy directing definitely helps the movie out a lot. The cinematography is crisp and impressive, and the overall feel of the movie is pretty tense and almost eerie.
     Gone Girl may not be the best or most inventive thriller out there, but it makes good use of old tropes: the unreliable narrator, the "kidnapped wife" plot, and the red herring are all used effectively in ways you wouldn't think about. The performances are well-done, and the direction is smart and effective. I definitely recommend it to fans of the thriller genre or of the original novel. 4/5 stars.

  (Image: Wikipedia)