The master of thrillers is back"¦ For those who are thinking of Michael Jackson, I understand, but for those who are cinema aficionados, you know I'm talking about David Fincher. His new film Gone Girl is a testament to the term"”perspective is everything.
The film takes the viewer into the lives of Nick (Affleck) and Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary"”the day Amy goes missing. The film is interwoven with flashbacks and insight on their marriage through Amy's diary. Suspicions are raised through the media about who took or killed Amy. All eyes point to Nick who is having a hard time being genuine in front of the camera lens of the media. Who gets vilified? Are there certain people in Amy's past who want her dead? Perhaps high school stalker, Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) who weaves in and out of her life. Red herrings are aplenty and not everyone is who they seem to be. As I was watching I couldn't help but think of Vertigo or Rope andone of Fincher's most overlooked film"”The Game. This film plays like a modern day Hitchcock, a masterful whodunnit with a modern twist.
Gone Girl is based on the novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn, who also adapted the screenplay for Fincher. I am one of the few who didn't read the book, but Flynn reported she has changed the ending of the film to keep interest up in viewers who have already read the novel. I really dig Flynn's message on modern marriages"”take the seemingly giddy couple in Nick and Amy, then peel away the layers of the onion, dig deeper, you could potentially cringe or cry from the shock of a shattered marriage. The film plays with themes like "power of the narrative" and whoever controls it is playing God. Take the media, for instance; they are spin doctors at their finest. We live in the age of the 24-hour news cycle where people can be portrayed by "media experts" as villains or heroes based on literally anything from an awkward smile to being camera shy or odd in front of the camera. Unless you make a living in front of a camera, many people would balk or tighten up in front of a million flashing lights, microphones and screaming people wanting to get a 15-second sound bite of you saying something to take it out of context for the sake of a story"”to control the narrative. The sad part is watching this film made me think of how the media wants stories now and facts later. Gone Girl is a must see and kicks off the Oscar season with a bang.
