Director: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Neil Patrick Harris
‘A Magnificent Masterpiece’
Few actors in Hollywood are as celebrated as Ben Affleck. Following his rise to stardom in the 1990’s, Affleck has turned into one of the best actors in the film industry. Whether it’s mischievous bank robbers, lovers in broken marriages or suspects of murder, Affleck has suggested that he can portray many strong characters. Affleck’s greatest strength as an actor has always been his abilities to create compelling characters through his presence. He has always been one of those actors with a strong screen presence. Through a larger than life presence, Affleck has created compelling characters that audiences can easily relate to. Affleck has never been afraid of taking risks in his career by playing characters which aren’t always likeable. Despite facing controversies, Affleck has never lost his lifelong passion for producing movies. Throughout his illustrious career, the actor has created many powerful movies which are definitely without any doubt worth seeing.
I’m a huge fan of Affleck and admire all the movies which he has created throughout his career. However, “Gone Girl” is definitely my favourite. Ever since its release back in 2014, David Fincher’s movie has stood the test of time as a crime classic. Fincher did a brilliant job of adapting a complex book about murder to the big-screen. Packed with extraordinary production-design, powerful storytelling and phenomenal performances, it’s a fantastic masterpiece about broken marriages. At the centre of it all is an exceptional performance from Ben Affleck, who embodies a man that’s wrongfully convicted of committing his wife’s murder. Ultimately, the film delivers a strong message about broken marriages which will resonate with everyone. Unlike most movies David Fincher has made, it discusses themes everyone would easily relate to. An engrossing murder mystery masterpiece, there are many strong reasons why “Gone Girl” is a movie that is definitely worth seeing.
Based on the beloved book, “Gone Girl” tells a story of a man that becomes a suspect of his wife’s disappearance. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a man with dreams of marriage. Nick has always gotten along well with his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) without facing any tensions. Amy is a charismatic writer which has always had the rare ability to get along with everyone. However, Nick faces despair when his wife all of a sudden vanishes out of thin air. Following her mysterious disappearance, Nick becomes the prime suspect of the murder case. Trapped in a dilemma, Nick questions whether he would ever be able to overcome trauma. Mourning an absence of his wife, Nick wonders whether it is possible for him to move on. Seeking to prove his innocence, Nick questions whether he can possibly recover from his wife’s heartbreaking disappearance.
David Fincher has always been fascinated with murder mysteries. A terrific filmmaker, Fincher has always been drawn toward stories of grim murder. His movies are often characterized by gritty themes, bloody violence and plot twists. His celebrated film “Se7en” captured the lives of disturbed detectives searching for psychotic serial killers. With “Gone Girl”, however, Fincher crafted his first murder mystery adaptation. It was the filmmaker’s first attempts to adapt a celebrated murder mystery book about broken marriage on the big-screen, but he succeeded tremendously. Visually, the movie is a feast for the eyes as stunning as women that disappear in a surprise. Through strong cinematography, Fincher captures a man embarking on journeys to investigate his wife’s disappearance which attracts scrutiny. Fincher has always excelled at using low-key lighting to built tension in his films, and “Gone Girl” is no exception. The film is beautifully shot using low-key lighting which creates a dark atmosphere. For instance, low-key lighting elevates the disappearance scene. During this memorable scene, Nick is shocked to discover that his wife has disappeared with his wife left in a disaster. Low-key lighting is a tricky technique to use in films. As “The Social Network” suggested, low-key lighting elevates biopic about iconic social network companies. Nevertheless, it works tremendously. Through breathtaking visuals, Fincher creates a murder mystery that’s engaging.
Another strong aspect of “Gone Girl” which is worth praising is the production-design. From a technical perspective, the movie is extremely well-made. Fincher effectively uses production design of a home to capture a disappearance of a woman that causes a decline. Throughout the movie, Nick’s home becomes a symbol of his fractured bond with Amy. For instance, the production design of the house enhances the murder staging scene. During this frightening scene, Amy stages her murder in her house by using fake blood, arrangement of furniture and cleaning supplies. One admires the production design of the house which captures marriages between couples that decline. Through clever set-design, Fincher captures the hardship that lovers in broken marriages always go through. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ music gives the movie a gloomy atmosphere capturing despair of women that suddenly disappear out of thin air. Through strong production-design, Fincher creates marriages that are doomed to endure a decline.
Storytelling is one of the reasons why “Gone Girl” is a murder mystery masterpiece that is engaging. The film is beautifully written, and expertly uses flashbacks to capture a decline of a marriage. Fincher’s finest screenwriting strength is capturing a marriage which faces destruction through flashbacks. Fincher deftly switches back and forth between two distinct timelines: Nick’s present-day murder mystery investigation and flashbacks of his traumatic relationship with Amy. It’s an ingenious non-linear structure that creates a murder mystery which is extremely engaging. For instance, flashbacks enhance the Amazing Amy scene. During this unforgettable scene, Nick and Amy develop a strong bond getting along well with each other in marriage before her painful disappearance. Through flashbacks, Fincher creates a strong character that audiences can easily relate to. Flashbacks are complicated techniques to use in films. As Robert Zemeckis’ “Forrest Gump” claimed clearly, flashbacks elevate historical period pieces. Nevertheless, it works extremely well in this film. Through a superb screenplay, Fincher captures murder cases with a price to pay.
One appreciates astonishing performances.
Ben Affleck delivers one of his greatest career performances as Nick. Affleck first achieved appreciation for portraying heroes preventing disasters. With “Gone Girl”, however, he took on his most complex role. It’s challenging to capture the personality of a man wrongfully accused of a murder mystery, but he pulled it off successfully. It’s an emotionally demanding role that gave Affleck a chance to showcase a vulnerable side to himself that audiences had never seen before. This is the actor unlike you have ever seen him before: intense, charismatic and fully committed in his most memorable role. With mesmerizing expressions, he captures angst, desperation and frustration of a man seeking to prove his innocence when he’s accused of his wife’s disappearance. It’s a commendable performance from one of the most commemorated actors in Hollywood today.
Rosamund Pike is fantastic as a woman which struggles to cope with a broken marriage that is tragic. While Affleck gets more screen time, Pike is also excellent as a woman who excels at deceiving people. As Amy, Pike created one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. Pike is one of those actresses that has always excelled at conveying emotions using her face without words, and “Gone Girl” showcased her strengths as an actress. Whether she’s joyfully flirting with Nick before their marriage declines or deviously staging a fake murder scene, Pike uses strong body language to create a feminist character that’s compelling. It’s a spellbinding performance from one of the finest actresses working in Hollywood today.
Finally, “Gone Girl” will earn the appreciation of everyone for its meaningful message about marriage. The film tackles commemorated themes including marriage, identity and wrongful conviction which would definitely resonate with everyone. Unlike most movies that David Fincher has made in his career which are targeted towards a specific audience, the movie tackles universal themes everyone would relate to. It delivers a strong message that will resonate with everyone that has seen a broken marriage at an early age. Therefore, “Gone Girl” is one of those rare one-of-a-kind movies that everyone would be able to adore.
Fans of Ben Affleck will definitely enjoy “Gone Girl” and so will movie-goers seeking heartfelt entertainment. An engaging masterpiece about broken marriage, it celebrates an actor whose engaging movies are worth watching.
Nearly a decade after the release of a groundbreaking film about mysterious women that disappear out of thin air causing spouses to face despair in broken marriages beyond repair, it’s a riveting reminder of an actor beyond compare with a flair for showcasing emotions in performances that has created a rare legacy by his abilities to discuss provocative issues without fear in unforgettable movies about which audiences deeply care.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 