Every once in a while, a film comes along that tweaks the nerves of the viewers, traveling home with them as it questions the true nature of human beings and what they are capable of.
“Gone Girl” is one of those movies.
With each passing scene, director David Fincher keeps the audience in a state of horrific splendor, watching as a deranged psychopath attempts to fake her own murder.
Fincher brings a distinctive and memorable style to the genre of murder-mystery comparable to the caliber of Alfred Hitchcock. This style is exemplified by the intense attention to detail in every feverish twist of the murder plot, unresolved until the final scene.
Rosamund Pike’s chilling performance as Amy Dunne, an unsatisfied wife bent on literally destroying her husband’s life, makes the viewer terrified of not only her character, but also slightly of their significant other (if they have one).
Pike’s epitomizes everything that can go wrong in a once loving relationship and, through her performance, proves that only true hate can come from true love.
In what seems to be his new favorite style, Ben Affleck plays the dark, tortured and trapped character, similar to his role in “The Town,” of Nick Dunne, who has to claw his way out of the dire situation he finds himself in. Under the judgemental eye of the media, Dunne is pinned as the number one suspect in the most perfectly staged murder in history.
Affleck flawlessly depicts the life of a man who faces possible murder charges and is trying to prove his innocence and prevent handcuffs from pressing against his wrist, or worse, the injection needle.
Additionally, Fincher’s use of comic relief could not be more fluent and comfortable within such a gruesome plot.
Tyler Perry’s part as Nick’s lawyer Tanner Bolt provides some of this relief, yet Perry’s impressive acting only elevates an otherwise phenomenal screenplay.
“Gone Girl” is truly a cinematic masterpiece not only in its stupendous writing, acting and directing, but also in its framing and overall cinematography.
The film never leaves the audience bored or offput and ends in a terrifying eloquence that mirrors the rest of the movie.