Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Missi Pyle, Tyler Perry, Patrick Fugit, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens.
Director: David Fincher
Writer / Screenplay: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Gone Girl was an International best-selling novel by author Gillian Flynn who also adapted the screenplay. The movie of the book has been long anticipated by fans and it couldn’t be in safer hands than with director David Fincher who brought us Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), Zodiac (2007), Social Network (2010) to name but a few. Fincher is a master of the curve ball and surprise which makes this thriller the must see movie of the autumn.
On the day of his fifth wedding anniversary Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) returns home to find broken furniture in the dinning-room and his beautiful wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing. Ben reports the unusual scene to the Police who search the house and find samples of his wife’s blood in the kitchen.
Nick is taken to the station for routine questioning but unfortunately he doesn’t help matters by his laid back and matter of fact attitude. As more incriminating evidence is unearthed Nick begins to look like a guilty man and the ensuing media circus starts to destroy most of Nick’s creditability and the public are starting to believe that he may have murdered his wife.
Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) is prepared to give Nick the benefit of the doubt but her side-kick, Officer Jim Gilpin (A grown up Patrick Fugit from cult pop movie Almost Famous, 2000) has already decided his guilt. To outsiders Nick and Amy were the perfect couple but with the discovery of Amy’s diary expressing her fears that her husband may do her some harm, things were starting to look bad for Nick. His only ally is his twin sister Margo (Carrie Coon) who vows to stand by him no matter what. In fact it’s the brother and sister scenes that allow the audience some moments of light relief. It seems that Nick’s only real hope is to hire a celebrity defence attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry) who decides that Nick must tell the public the truth about his marriage ‘warts an all’ before someone else does but is it too late to save Amy?
From viewing the trailers of Gone Girl I was expecting a run of the mill ‘Did he, didn’t he?’ story but I couldn’t have been more wrong. What we have here is a master class in suspense, full of twists and turns and just when you think you know where this is heading it throws you off track again.
Ben Affleck puts in a terrific performance, probably the best I’ve seen him. It also looks as though he was in training for Batman while filming this movie as he seems to have bulked up somewhat. British actress Rosamund Pike looks a likely candidate for an Oscar nomination for her role as Amy Dunne. Director Fincher keeps the film moving at a great pace that doesn’t let your mind wander for a second and you find yourself fully engrossed in the mind games of the main characters.
If you are a fan of the old fashioned well-crafted Thriller movie, then this will be right up your straza. My favourite film of the year so far.
A well-deserved Foker On Film Five out of Five stars.
In UK cinemas from October 3, 2014
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