Gone Girl Review: Fincher Does it Again!

If there is one name that tends to get the attention of moviegoers everywhere, it is none other then David Fincher. For almost twenty years, Fincher has provided the movie world some of the most edgy and talked about films; such as Se7en, Fight Club and The Social Network. Fincher's latest motion pictures bring the work of Gillian Flynn and now playing in theaters is the thriller: Gone Girl. Gone Girl tells the story of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) who finds himself  right in the middle of his wife's, Amy (Rosamund Pike), disappearance.  With Fincher's involvement, the movie has received great buzz since the release of Gone Girl's first trailer? So how does Gone Girl hold up to the director's previous work. Answer: this thriller is up there with Fincher's best.

With a plot riddle in spoilers, it is difficult to even bring up Gone Girl's story without revealing to much. Be that as it may, the story to this thriller is intriguing to say the least. While the first act can feel sporadic and confusing, the structure to the first part of the film is not without its reason. The story breaks the first act into two parts: the disappearance of Amy being the story's focal point and Amy's diary providing  a narration to the events prior to the film's events. One would expect this format to play throughout the entire course of the film, but the story takes a major turn in the movie's second half. That is where things get interesting as story provides the crime genre is different kind of tale. Needless to say, the story of Gone Girl had me intrigued all the way to very end.




Gone Girl features a well constructed cast. but the ensemble's strongest factors are with its two leads. Though Ben Affleck's performance as Nick is hard to get behind at the beginning, the soon to be Batman brings his A game as the tension of Gone Girl progressed. Ben Affleck made for a solid lead, but his counterpart Rosamund Pike steals the show as Amy. It is hard to go into her character without revealing too much. However, Pike quite possibly had the best performance that I have ever seen from her in this thriller. Though Gone Girl's leads are the center of attention, that is not to say the rest of the cast was not impressive. Carrie Coon as Margo was a great supporting character as her chemistry with Affleck was top notch. Though Neil Patrick Harris a small role as Desi Collings, he certainly brought some star power for the supporting characters. Even Tyler Perry had a great performance as Tanner Bolt. Let that comment sink in for a second. The point is that the ensemble of Gone Girl is full of surprises with its fantastic leads and great supporting cast.

Since Fight Club, David Fincher has relied on director of photography, Jeff Cronenweth, to gives his film a unique sense of cinematography. Cronenweth continues his distinctive visuals in the cinematography of Gone Girl. Though Gone Girl had the same look of Fincher's previous film, the thriller was able to stand out thanks to the director  making great use of simple effects. Like Cronenweth, Fincher brought another former collaborator in composer Trent Reznor. Reznor brought his signature sound to this movie, but like the cinematography, the score to Gone Girl does just enough to give this movie a soundtrack that stands out.

David Fincher continues to impress with his latest film. Gone Girl may not be for the faint of heart,but for moviegoers, it is a must see. With a unique story, strong cast and a great sense of direction,Gone Girl is easily one of Fincher's best works; as well as one of the best films of the year.