Sympathies change, and then they change again in the dynamic Gone Girl, a twisting-turning new crime-thriller from David Fincher. The heralded director builds an engrossing, escalating mystery before unveiling a few surprises that pull the rug out from everyone.
Gillian Flynn supplies the screenplay from her own novel. The writer has created a story with hidden corners and deep alleys for her characters, not letting the audience fully understand the complete story until they have the complete story. Reportedly, Flynn slightly changed her ending at Fincher’s request, so even readers of the novel might find a surprise. Or not.
Fincher worked again with his regular cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, and the film benefits from the director’s known habit of shooting multiple takes. The overtime results in a pair of fine performances from the two lead actors, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Without such strength at its core, Gone Girl could easily falter and slide into strident melodrama.
Fincher follows his story, always jumping to where needed to string out the mystery and sustain the tension. Dominant screen time falls to sad-sack Nick Dunne (Affleck). The former New York resident has returned to his Missouri hometown with his Harvard-educated wife, Amy (Pike), only to hit near bottom.
Fincher chronicles Nick and Amy’s faltering marriage, mostly through narration from Amy’s diary. But, like Nabokov’s unreliable narrator, Amy proves elusive with the truth, even to herself.
The main plot revolves around Amy’s disappearance, initially treated as a missing person investigation. Friends and neighbors rally around Nick, until it increasingly appears he may have murdered his wife. The investigating detectives (Kim Dickens and Patrick Fugit) begin friendly but then turn nasty and suspicious.
Flynn’s story takes Nick from a public object of pity to one vilified by the tabloid media, as well as his friends and Amy’s family. Nick can only find refuge with his twin sister Margo (Carrie Coon).
At this point, Gone Girl takes a surprising turn best not revealed. The twist, however, provides a fuller look at Amy, while also, not coincidentally, proving once again that Pike is an accomplished actress.
Fincher’s demand for heightened technical polish and performance-excellence shows throughout, not just with the leads but also with Coon and in important supporting roles from Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris.
Fincher uses them all to weave a gripping story filled with unexpected drama.
BOO ALLEN is an award-winning film critic who has worked for the Denton Record-Chronicle for more than 20 years. He lives in Dallas.
MOVIE RATING
Gone Girl
***
Rated R, 145 minutes.
Opens Friday.
