Gone Girl delivers stellar performances

Director David Fincher’s latest film Gone Girl is a breath of fresh air for movie theaters everywhere. This highly anticipated thriller is a film that will have audiences at their edge of their seat from start to finish. It stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry. Gone Girl begins on the day Nick Dunne’s (Affleck) wife Amy (Pike) disappears. As days pass and there is no sign of Amy, her disappearance becomes a nationwide media storm, and has Nick looking like a guilty, foolish husband. No one knows where she is, what happened or if she is still alive, but as the story unfolds the beauty of Fincher’s directing and the remarkable performances by Affleck and Pike shine through and have audiences craving more.

Struggling not to give anything away, let’s discuss these possible Oscar worthy performances. First of all, the casting of Ben Affleck as this thoughtless, distracted husband was brilliant. His character is likable from the start, the different levels of emotions that his character possesses is shown throughout every scene. This role could arguably be Affleck’s finest; it feels as though it was written specifically for him, that’s how perfect he was for the part. Rosamund Pike was mind-blowing. Her performance was truly awe-inspiring; she was every bit perfect for the character she needed to create in this interesting, but gripping world Fincher created. Neil Patrick Harris is great in his role; his character contributes to the absurdity of this saga and would be considered somewhat of a dark comedic relief. Tyler Perry, like NPH, lightens up parts of the film with his performance, and is truly likeable in his rather small but vital role. 

Gone Girl is that type of film that cannot be talked about without giving away major plot points and creating tons of spoilers. The mystery that begins to unravel is what makes this film so exciting; it’s why people go to the movies. Gone Girl has this wonderful combination of genres mixed into two and half hours of absolute entertainment. The film is every bit mysterious, thrilling, and dramatic and even has little bits of comedy scattered throughout. Fincher does not disappoint, and shoots this film perfectly with the use of flashbacks, constantly switching from the past and present day and always letting his audience know where they are and how many days have passed since the day Amy has been gone. He also creates the build up of this story, which is actually based off the novel by the same name written by Gillian Flynn, by using excerpts from Amy’s diary to narrate parts of this twisted, captivating tale.

In conclusion, Gone Girl is highly recommended to anyone that enjoys David Fincher films, superb acting, and stories engulfed with drama, wit, and thrill. Also, for anyone who enjoys movies that formulate a world so intense, so dubious that the audience dives in head first with excitement and is left with nothing but amusement and utter disbelief.

Be forewarned there is violence, strong language, and nudity.