Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Gone Girl
2014
***
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, Missi Pyle, Emily Ratajkowski, Casey Wilson, Lola Kirke, Boyd Holbrook

On his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne's wife Amy goes missing. No body is found but the cops and the media become convinced that Nick killed his wife. The excerpts from Amy's diary describe a troubled and violent marriage, but is that the whole truth? Gillian Flynn's cleverly structured 2012 novel is a page turner. Her screen adaptation compresses the book to a trashy and twisty thriller which still feels too long at 2½ hours. The entire story is essentially about keeping up appearances, but since Nick and Amy are such unpleasant characters, the missing backstories become an issue. Nevertheless, David Fincher delivers a stylish and perfectly gripping drama. Rosamund Pike gives a strong central performance.