Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
Director David Fincher is often both lauded and criticized for being a filmmaker of great technical achievement, sometimes sacrificing an emotional connection to his subject in favor of a great shot. I don't happen to agree with this theory, but I do find it easy to tell sometimes when Fincher is truly passionate about those being portrayed in his film. And thankfully the director of FIGHT CLUB, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON not only cares about the characters and themes in his latest work, an adaptation of Gillian Flynn's GONE GIRL, but they mean so much to him, he gets downright angry sometimes.
I think to say that Fincher and Flynn's take (the author also wrote the screenplay) on GONE GIRL concerns the true face of marriage in the modern era is a bit of an over-simplification, but it's also partly true. What the film ultimately turns into is the realization that a person can never truly be themselves if they want to keep a relationship going—a face must be worn, the lies must be told so often and so convincingly that the teller starts to believe them, and to do anything less than all of these horrible things in the name of keeping a marriage alive is the ultimate betrayal, even if it's for perfectly acceptable reasons.
The other thing about GONE GIRL that is a bit of a falsehood is the notion that it's some sort of thriller. While it is a loopy and enjoyable mystery, a great drama, and even the darkest of dark comedies, I can't think of a single scene that made me jump or creeped out or tense. This is no thriller, and it makes no difference; these are labels that have been adopted for those with narrow minds, who need to know the ends of movies before they decide if they want to go see them.
The structure of the film borders on elegant as it seamlessly rotates from present to past showing us the best and worst moments in the lives Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife Amy (the great Rosamund Pike), from the moment they meet to the moment she vanishes from his life the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary. Nick returns to his home, with signs of a struggle, traces of blood, and enough clues to throw suspicion on Nick having something to do with Amy's disappearance or possible murder. And while the film takes us through the happiest and darkest corners of the marriage, it seems to pick up steam and increase its outright rage once the police and media get ahold of this case.
One of the most frustrating things about so many films that incorporate a "media frenzy" as part of the plot is that the filmmakers re-create the way journalists act as if they've never watched the news. It's always exaggerated or just flat-out wrong. But Fincher and his team have gone out of their way to remind us not only what an media circus looks like, but why such reporting is a foul bastardization of what the news is supposed to be. There is no real desire to get the truth as much as there is a bloodlust for the next scandalous headline in the stakeout outside Nick's house, with reporters hurling questions designed to rattle the subject, not to get actual facts. As I said, Fincher is great when he cares, but he's even better when he's pissed off.
As you may have guessed even if you haven't read the novel, GONE GIRL features a story that is almost impossible to talk about without feeling like you're giving too much away, and it's way too much fun to spoil any aspect of the film. The dual narration is a clever device. As Nick's dilemma with the police and reporters increases, we also get Amy narrating her life story leading up to her disappearance, via her diary. And both versions of their story remind us of one very key point: you can't always trust your narrator, especially when they speak in the first person.
No one in GONE GIRL is above reproach, from the detectives (the whip smart Kim Dickens to the dopey Patrick Fugit) to Amy's delusional parents (David Clennon and Lisa Banes), who are more than happy to stand beside Nick until public opinion (not necessarily their own) changes on him. My favorite supporting character is that of Nick's twin sister Margo, played by Carrie Coon, one of the standouts in HBO's recent series "The Leftovers."
The two most surprising turns come from extremely high-profile actors, which at first feels like stunt casting, until you actually see them nail their roles. Neil Patrick Harris plays a figure from Amy's past who surfaces to aid in the search, while Tyler Perry shows us as hot-shot attorney Tanner Bolt, hired by Nick not just to begin a defense (should one be necessary) but find ways to improve Nick's image in the public eye, because shit like that matters.
One cannot stress enough how good Rosamund Pike is in GONE GIRL, mostly for reasons I can't explain here. One of her great strengths is that she isn't well known in America, so she doesn't bring image baggage with her into this part. Watching her here reminds me of seeing Edward Norton in his first film, PRIMAL FEAR. Any of us who saw that film in theaters remembers seeing this unknown actor use his anonymity to his advantage; we had no idea what to expect of him. And while Pike's take on Amy is nothing like what Norton did in that film (and for most critics and those versed in British cinema, she's a known quantity). But with GONE GIRL, Pike's limits are explored, pushed and tested in ways they've simply never been prior, and it's exciting to watch her devastate the screen as she does. It's not about whether she's an awards contender or not; people will remember her in this for years to come.
As for Affleck, he's a guy who has fairly consistently been underrated as an actor, but that's partly because he's only been in a handful of films that have truly tested his abilities. But the good news is that a lot of his best roles have been in recent years, often with himself as director (THE TOWN, ARGO). It's easy to admire what he's been up to lately as an actor because he seems to care more than he ever has. Nick's every move, smile, gesture is suspect. Is he a calculated killer? Is he a guy who knows exactly what to do to cast doubt on his guilt or innocence? Or is he a manipulatable idiot who just doesn't know any better? It's certainly the most nuanced performance in Affleck's career.
GONE GIRL is a work about the fragile nature of love and relationships; it's an all-out assault weapon against tabloid journalism—those who produce it and those who consume; and it's a film that finally admits that the truth is the least important element in seeking justice. After a while, we can live with any lie if it makes our lives easier. Is GONE GIRL a hard-heartedly cynical movie? You bet your sweet ass it is. And you'll likely love every second of it, as it transforms your heart to stone, and makes you look sideways at your sweetie pie.
-- Steve Prokopy
"Capone"
capone@aintitcool.com
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