GONE GIRL

US, 2014, 145 minutes, Colour.
Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neal Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, David Clennon.
Directed by David Fincher.

Gone Girl seems too slight and juvenile for a title of a novel and film about adults in deep crisis. There is often a problem when a book is a bestseller and audiences find that the cinema interpretation does not live up to their expectations and imagining of characters and plot. This review is based on the film rather than the novel, which was given as a gift, and has been left to read after the cinema experience.

This is a very difficult film to review because of the plot complexities and some twists, not that many audiences, whether readers of the book will not, could not anticipate where the plot would go. The interest is in seeing how the twists are introduced and developed. The screenplay is written by the author of the novel, Gillian Flynn – so we presume she knows what she is doing.

The first sentences of the film indicate that Nick Dunn would like to kill his wife, asking her what is going on in her head and in her feelings. It is their fifth anniversary and Nick goes to The Bar, which he owns, and is managed by his twin sister, Margot. Ben Affleck is Nick and Carrie Coon is Margot. Both give very effective performances.

But we also see Nick’s wife, Amy, in a series of flashbacks, writing her diary of the past, talking about experiences with meeting her husband, the initial exhilaration, the difficult times, and his statement that she fears her husband could kill her. While the leads give solid performances, it is Rosamund Pike as Amy who gives a tour-de-force performance, obviously committed to reflecting the intricacies of her complex character.

When Nick arrives home and finds a room in disarray, with traces of blood stains in the kitchen, he is puzzled and goes to the police to report his wife missing. The main officer in charge of the investigation is played by Kim Dickens, again a very strong performance, especially in comparison with that of Patrick Fugit, her partner, who obviously needs a bit more training in police and detective work.

The screenplay shows each day passing, more and more evidence arising against Nick, including envelopes with clues provided by Amy for the celebration of their anniversary. Margot offers complete support and understanding. And then the media get onto it, especially an interviewer played by Missy Pyle, practically a caricature of this kind of interviewer, until we realise that some interviewers actually are like this, especially American interviewers. She not only goes with the flow, she creates the flow, targeting Nick and eliciting all kinds of sympathies for Amy from her seemingly insatiable audience. Then Amy is discovered, to have been pregnant, information eagerly given in a the evidence from her neighbour, her best friend.

It gets very hard for Nick. He goes to visit one of Amy’s school friends who was infatuated with her, a good acting performance by Neal Patrick Harris as a lover, rather than as a compere of American award shows. He also goes to the best lawyer in Missouri, played by Tyler Perry.

This review will now try to make a comment on the second part of the film without giving any of the plot directions away. All that might be said is that it is quite fascinating as we watch the explanations given of what happened and how it happened.

The two central characters are in no way heroic, rather, each controlling the other, Amy more so than Nick.

Probably what can be said is that Gone Girl, directed by David Fincher, director of Seven, The Game, Panic Room, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is a very interesting exploration of two people, their psychological states and what those states compel them to do.


1. The popularity and acclaim for the novel? The author writing the screenplay? The tone of the title?

2. Missouri, the town, homes and streets, the residence for the elderly, the lake house, the resort and hotel, the contemporary atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The structure of the film: the abduction of Amy, the days listed since it happened, the contrast then with the days of Amy’s re-appearance?

4. Thriller, abduction, possible murder, actual murder? Amy’s plan, madness? The contribution of the media, media frenzy, television commentators, reporters and paparazzi?

5. The introduction, Nick saying the words about killing his wife – and their coming back at the end with more meaning? The presumption that Nick could well kill Amy? Then the end of the first half of the film and Amy’s reappearance?

6. Ben Affleck as Nick, his age, would-be writer, stories? His father, old, alienation from him? His mother’s death, his return to Missouri from New York to be with her? Close to his sister, the co-owning of the bar, his visits to the bar and talking with her, confiding in her? Waking on the anniversary day, seemingly normal, going to the bar, the discussions about divorce? His return home? The chaos in the house? The blood and its being cleaned up? The envelopes with clues, something Amy did? His going to the police, the response, support?

7. Amy, her picture, her words, the diary? The perceptions? Her fears? The flashbacks to meeting Nick, the excitement, the romance, discussions, sexual relationship, being together? Her parents, the famous Amy books, the popularity, people’s responses? Her writing, audience response to her diary? The tensions? The audience having in mind that Nick said that he could kill his wife?

8. Rhonda Boney, as a person, her job, efficiency, the interrogations, believing Nick, the issues of the increasing evidence, the story, growing suspicions? Her dealing with her partner and his unnuanced responses? Going to the house, the shed, the forensics, the explanations? Following the clues? The revelation of Amy’s reappearance, believing in Nick, willing to help him?

9. Nick’s sister, her personality, support, relationship to the father, to the mother? The bar? Supporting Nick, the issues of the evidence, having to deal with them? The media pursuing her? The arrest, the time in prison? With Nick? The issues of the law, bail?

10. Public opinion, the crowds, voicing reactions, liking Nick, turning against him, support for Amy?

11. Amy, alive, her explanations of how she prepared everything, anticipating police reaction, Nick’s reaction? The details of the blood, washing it up, other aspects of the house, the clues? Nick following the clues, to the shed, to his father’s shed, always incriminating himself, the murder weapon?

12. Amy at the resort, lounging, the wealth, the television, the girl and the man at the pool, her interactions, keeping private, the girl working things out, Amy leaving?

13. Her going to Desi Collings, Nick and his going to visit him and Collings turning him away, the relationship in the past, her violence towards him? His success in business, receiving her, the plausibility of the story? Her explanations to him, his listening, expressing her fears, staying, support, their time together? His complete trust in her, love? The brutality of her killing him?

14. Her reappearance, public opinion, sympathy, her story? The murder and her defence of herself, arranging the CCCV footage to implicate Desi as brutal?

15. Nick, his response to her return, his private comments, his public comments, their being seen in public? Her parents – and the other television interviews with her parents about her disappearance and murder? Nick knowing the truth? Her vicious control?

16. Boney, further investigations and suspicions?

17. Amy and her hold over Nick, his possibility of controlling her? A future?