Michael Diambri, A&E Writer
“Gone Girl” is a dark film that unearths the bad intentions of two partners in a struggling marriage. Ben Affleck (“Argo”) as Nick Dunne and Rosamund Pike (“Pride and Prejudice”) as Amy Dunne headline the star-studded cast of “Gone Girl” as the world’s worst couple.
On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Dunne mysteriously disappears. As detectives unearth evidence, Nick Dunne becomes the prime suspect in the case of her disappearance.
It’s revealed that Amy is framing her husband through a montage where Pike solidifies her Oscar nomination.
Amy manipulates others at her whim, including her rich ex-boyfriend Desi, who she uses for refuge, played by Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”). Harris and Pike have great on-screen chemistry that climaxes with an act of sheer insanity from Pike’s character.
Nick finds evidence he’s been framed, but it appears to be too late as his wife’s plot to portray him as a murderer gets national media attention. Nick is branded as cheating, lazy and abusive.
Nick, who now loathes his wife, goes on national television trying to bring Amy back hoping to play out his own revenge on her.
With this couple, every act of maleficence is responded to with a greater reaction. It appears this couple might remain together, as long as they don’t crack each other’s skulls open first.
Do you think that all of your ex-girlfriends or boyfriends are crazy? Well, honey, you haven’t seen “Gone Girl.”
This film was absolutely insane, in a good way. Is it bad that I am now wildly attracted to Rosamund Pike? That explains to all readers that I have terrible taste in women.
From the acting to the production and cinematography, “Gone Girl” was unsettling in the best way. I would be shocked if it doesn’t receive at least a few Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (Fincher), Best Actress (Pike), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Mixing.
Although Affleck gave a very strong performance, I don’t see him coming away with a nomination in a year with an especially strong Best Actor category.
Overall, every aspect of the film was exceptionally strong. “Gone Girl” does not try too hard to appeal to the viewer, it simply follows a good story and captures audiences’ attention because it is one-of-a-kind.
“Gone Girl” proves that bad people really are meant to be bad together. I would not be surprised if Nick and Amy Dunne spawned the Antichrist.
The Dunnes’ sinister love left me not able to take my eyes off the screen, even in moments where taking my eyes off the screen would have been better for my sanity.
Recently, I was thinking about putting myself back out on the market—single and ready to mingle—but “Gone Girl” makes me never want to get married.
I am legitimately worried that the person I fall in love with might end up being just like one of the psychos in the Dunne family.
“Gone Girl” was a stellar adaptation of the book, most likely because the film’s screenwriter was also the book’s author, Gillian Flynn.
Movies often do not live up to expectations books set. Be honest, how many movies have you seen that were better than the book? Flynn’s adaptation of her own novel makes me feel like all authors should be hired as screenwriters for adaptations of their work.
It clearly worked well in this case. “Gone Girl” was one of the best film-adaptations of a book in the past few years.
5/5 stars.
Although not perfectly adapted, here is a list of some movies I thought were brilliantly taken from paper to the big screen. I strongly suggest reading both the books and watching these movies!
Gone Girl
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Clockwork Orange
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
The Descendants
Fight Club
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Harry Potter Series
Misery
The Shawshank Redemption
The Devil Wears Prada
Pride and Prejudice
The Shining
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Movies That Didn’t Do So Well. Read the book, skip the movie.
Into The Wild
The Giver
The Chronicles of Narnia Series
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Lovely Bones
Twilight (Wait. don’t even bother reading this).
