by Sean Narborough
I love the genius of 20th Century Fox, releasing the ultimate alternative Valentine’s Day film just in time for the day itself, I’m of course talking about Gone Girl. David Fincher’s twisted version of a date movie is released on DVD and Blu-Ray today and if you are alone this Valentine’s Day, it may, very oddly, be the perfect alternative film to watch this year.
I love the genius of 20th Century Fox, releasing the ultimate alternative Valentine’s Day film just in time for the day itself, I’m of course talking about Gone Girl. David Fincher’s twisted version of a date movie is released on DVD and Blu-Ray today and if you are alone this Valentine’s Day, it may, very oddly, be the perfect alternative film to watch this year.
Based on the best selling book written by Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl is based on the marriage of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and Amy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike) and the problems in their five-year marriage. When Amy disappears, Nick tries everything to try to find her, working with both the police and Amy’s parents. But the more we uncover the secrets that Nick has been trying so desperately to hide, the more we realise that not everything is what it seems. I don’t want to spoil the film for anyone who hasn’t seen the film or read the book because it’s the best thing not knowing what’s going to happen going into the film. What’s great about Gone Girl is just when you think you have the story figured out, it does a complete one eighty and if you don’t know the twists going in, like I didn’t going in, they are the most shocking and breathtaking moments of the entire film. Your opinions of how the film is going to end is always changing, you really don’t know what’s going to happen and I can’t think of a better feeling when watching a film.
Since I don’t want to spoil anything, I’ll talk about another great thing about Gone Girl, the acting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film where every actor shined and had their moment in the sun. Tyler Perry brings great comedic relief as the “patron saint to wife killers” Tanner Bolt, Kim Dickens shines as Rhonda Boney, the detective trying to make sense of the case at the same time as the audience and Carrie Coon is brilliant as the moral, yet sarcastic, compass known as Nick’s sister Margo. And very quickly, without spoiling anything, after watching Gone Girl, you may have trouble watching Neil Patrick Harris in anything ever again.
While everyone is wonderful, Gone Girl is really all about Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Affleck as Nick is great casting as he is constantly changing the audience’s opinion of Nick. Your opinion of Nick changes from Good Guy to Monster about 700 times during the film. But while Affleck is great in this film, him and everyone else is outshone by the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar nominated (for this role) Rosamund Pike in a career making performance. I can’t say too much about her version of “Amazing Amy” without giving anything away, but her performance is second to none. Pike has made everyone stand out of their chairs and take notice of her with this role. Her portrayal of Amy is one of best performances you'll ever see and where her career goes from here is unknown, but I’m sure it will be great thanks to Gone Girl.
Since I don’t want to spoil anything, I’ll talk about another great thing about Gone Girl, the acting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film where every actor shined and had their moment in the sun. Tyler Perry brings great comedic relief as the “patron saint to wife killers” Tanner Bolt, Kim Dickens shines as Rhonda Boney, the detective trying to make sense of the case at the same time as the audience and Carrie Coon is brilliant as the moral, yet sarcastic, compass known as Nick’s sister Margo. And very quickly, without spoiling anything, after watching Gone Girl, you may have trouble watching Neil Patrick Harris in anything ever again.
While everyone is wonderful, Gone Girl is really all about Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Affleck as Nick is great casting as he is constantly changing the audience’s opinion of Nick. Your opinion of Nick changes from Good Guy to Monster about 700 times during the film. But while Affleck is great in this film, him and everyone else is outshone by the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar nominated (for this role) Rosamund Pike in a career making performance. I can’t say too much about her version of “Amazing Amy” without giving anything away, but her performance is second to none. Pike has made everyone stand out of their chairs and take notice of her with this role. Her portrayal of Amy is one of best performances you'll ever see and where her career goes from here is unknown, but I’m sure it will be great thanks to Gone Girl.
Away from the acting, Gone Girl shines in many different areas too. David Fincher creates one of his best films to date, the nature of the film sticks to his bizarre style of filmmaking while also trying new things too like, very strangely, comedy. Gillian Flynn does a great job adapting her famed book into a wonderful screenplay, staying faithful to the material but not being afraid to change a few things up to make it work better as a film. And I strongly recommended after seeing the film to go find the screenplay for the film, it’s just as good reading it as it is watching it. Fincher regulars Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross return to create a score that perfectly reflects the film in certain scenes. It’s nice and calming during the nice moments and a lot (and I mean a lot) more chaotic during some of the film’s stranger scenes. But trust me listening to the score by itself isn’t the easiest of things to listen to.
Gone Girl has become a real stand out film, it’s been five months since the film came out and personally, I’m still talking with people about this film like I saw it last weekend. I love this film so much I’ve now got the book and it’s just as brilliant as the film. The film is filled with fantastic acting from everyone, shocking twists that you never see coming and is one of the few films around that exposes the problems with both the media and relationships in general.
If you don’t have anyone this Valentine’s Day or can’t be bothered with it all; Gone Girl is the best alternative around this year… just be careful whom you watch it with.
Gone Girl has become a real stand out film, it’s been five months since the film came out and personally, I’m still talking with people about this film like I saw it last weekend. I love this film so much I’ve now got the book and it’s just as brilliant as the film. The film is filled with fantastic acting from everyone, shocking twists that you never see coming and is one of the few films around that exposes the problems with both the media and relationships in general.
If you don’t have anyone this Valentine’s Day or can’t be bothered with it all; Gone Girl is the best alternative around this year… just be careful whom you watch it with.
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Gone Girl is out on DVD now
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