As the years go on, the quality of movies seem to decline. When we look at iconic years like 1994 that produced world renowned classics like The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction or even Forrest Gump, what we have begun to produce in the 20 years following seems trivial and completely unoriginal. I'm tired of being able to sit in a movie theatre and be able to predict the entire plot from start to finish based solely on the first five minutes (*cough cough* Pitch Perfect). We've all seen the oh-so-predictable girl meets boy, boy screws up, girl hates boy, boy redeems himself and boom, happily ever after. I am NOT a fan. I'm also not such a great believer in happy endings, somehow I feel that more realistic endings have a greater appeal.
Psychological thrillers are one of my favourite genres of film. Why? Because in order to totally mess with your mind, the writers actually have to sit and think of clever twists in the plot. They have to find a way to lure you into a false sense of security and then turn everything upside down. Admittedly, it has been a LONG time since Hollywood produced a good psychological thriller. Standouts for me have definitely been Primal Fear, Fight Club and of course the unforgettable Silence of the Lambs. It's pretty much impossible to dislike Anthony Hopkins. That being said, Hollywood finally decided to prove to itself, and the world, that they still have it in them to produce something original and hence, Gone Girl.
Now for those of you who are more sensitive viewers, there is a certain amount of nudity, sex and violence so be aware. If you're easily offended by this kind of thing, you're probably not going to want to watch this.
I went to see this film in the theatre with my family. I had high expectations given the hype surrounding it and the fact that David Fincher was the director, myself being an unaware fan of his work (Fight Club (duh!), Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - all of which I only recently discovered her directed). Given my experience with Fight Club I was expecting some kind of crazy twist and the film did not disappoint. I'm going to try my very best here not to give away any spoilers!
A huge amount of credit should go to Gillian Flynn, the author of the novel of the same name as well as the screenwriter for the film. I really think this should be done more often. The author of the novel clearly knows the ins and outs of their book and would have the best idea as to what should be kept and what should be cut for the film. I have just finished reading the book and the film seems to be largely in keeping with the book albeit a few minor details.
For those of you who don't know, the film revolves around a young couple, Nick and Amy, both former writers, who move back to Nick's home state of Missouri where they seem to have lost their initial purpose in life. Amy goes missing and Nick begins the hunt to find his wife. However, Nick doesn't seem to look as concerned as he should given that his wife seems to have been kidnapped in one hell of a struggle. Throughout the film we learn more about Amy through her diary, and about Nick as the film progresses.
In a way, this is a "boy meets girl" kind of story but not in quite the way you'd expect. It has a great element of he-said-she-said and leaves the audience to decide who they want to believe or root for. There are two sides to every story after all! Both characters have their flaws and faults but are too relatable for us to dismiss them. Even in moments when we think we know which side of the moral line we stand on we still have to acknowledge the power of the situation.
The structure of the film is excellent. I like that this isn't one of those tell-you-the-end-in-the-beginning kind of films (well kind of). We get to know the characters bit by bit as the movie progresses and we are allowed the privilege of trying to solve the mystery ourselves. The film does a great job of leading the viewers into a false sense of security. Who do you trust? Nick? Or Amy? Or neither? It's a fantastic look into the psychology of marriage, self-perception and the importance of what other's think of you (not that I'm saying it's important but...you'll see). This film is wonderfully unpredictable and I commend Mr. Fincher and Ms. Flynn on fine work.
I'm not exactly a big Ben Affleck fan (aside from Argo, I can give credit where credit is due). He's your stereotypical Hollywood leading man, the star in all those super predictable chick-flicks (*shudder*). BUT he was PERFECT as Nick Dunne. He nailed the expressionless look and the awkwardness. He was both suspicious and harmless. Having read the book, he really did the character justice. However, an enormous amount of credit must go to the amazing Rosamund Pike. She brilliantly executed the many facets of Amy to a tee. Amy is a very complex character and Pike plays her with ease and precision.
I would seriously recommend seeing this film! If you're like me and you tend to complain about inconsistency between novels and their film adaptations you'll be pleased to know that this adaptation keeps very true to the novel. Of course there are always going to be some changes here and there but they aren't major, I promise! Hollywood is finally upping their game so go and bear witness to it!
KEEP
9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment