Emma / Published on October 1, 2014
David Fincher is renowned for bringing us some of the most captivating and ambiguous cinematic triumphs of our time including Seven, Zodiac, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Three years ago, we saw Fincher take on the controversial, best-selling mystery novel series ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’turning it in to one of the most lustrous and engaging releases of the decade and now, with over two million copies sold, ‘Gone Girl’is next on Fincher’s hit list as he attempts to turn a literary phenomenon into a visual masterpiece of subtle tones and wild deviations.
That same shaded question too plays on our own minds as the film shrewdly inserts narrations from Amy’s journal, depicting how their once amorous and joyful relationship becomes tarnished and worn down thanks to the couple losing their jobs and Nick’s mother becoming gravely unwell. Amy feels out of place and unwanted whilst Nick feels disenchanted and inadequate. He is obviously concerned about Amy’s disappearance but not overly so.
Could he really have killed his own wife? It is this constant teasing of mystery within the adaptation that leaves an air of uncertainty hanging heavy over our heads.
Is Nick putting on a brave face or is he attempting to hide something far more arduous?
The casting curated by Fincher aids in the construction of such an ambiguous tale with a line of impressive yet somewhat unexpected leading roles.
Ben Affleck performs outstandingly as Nick, scoring the film some serious repute. The depiction of the formidable media frenzy that surrounds the enigmatic husband is beyond doubt highlighted by Affleck’s own media run-ins.
Like Affleck, the casting of Rosamund Pike sits perfectly with the role of Amy. The actress, having starred films like the‘An Education’and ‘Pride & Prejudice’has often been defined as somewhat one dimensional, however in this case, her other worldly beauty and often superficial contradictions are used to disturbing effect. She embodies the conflict within Amy and this is easily her finest performance to date. We expect to see a lot more from Pike in the coming months who beat fellow actresses Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman to the leading role and it’s clear to see why.
‘Gone Girl’is ultimately a film about assumptions and also how we, not only as an audience, but as ordinary people cope when our expectations don’t quite square with reality.
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