Gone Girl — Looking convincing is half the work
Fincher makes a missing-person story into an uneasy study of marriage and public performance. The acting and the cool, controlled presentation are stronger than a few of the more elaborate plot turns.
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Spoiler-free review.
Gone Girl understands how uncomfortable it can be to watch somebody give the wrong impression. A pause is too long, a smile arrives at the wrong moment, and an ordinary response begins to look like evidence. David Fincher gets a lot of tension from people trying to appear convincing under observation.
The film's direction makes the domestic spaces feel neat but not comforting. The visuals are controlled, while the marriage's story is harder to pin down. That contrast works well. The film can make a TV interview or a chat with the police feel as important as a big dramatic moment.
Ben Affleck is well suited to Nick’s awkward relationship with his own public image. Rosamund Pike gives Amy a composure that makes the quieter scenes worth watching closely. Their performances suggest a relationship with its own private language, and Gillian Flynn’s dialogue lets affection, resentment and self-defence sit uncomfortably together.
The plot sometimes stretches its setup so far that the mechanics become obvious. Some side characters are also drawn more broadly than the main couple. Those quibbles matter, but they don't take away from the film's best point: being able to explain a relationship clearly is very different from really understanding it.
2014 · English. Film details · Film details · Poster source · Artwork © its respective rights holders.
8/10
My verdictFincher makes a missing-person story into an uneasy study of marriage and public performance. The acting and the cool, controlled presentation are stronger than a few of the more elaborate plot turns.
— Desly