Gone Girl

When I saw the first trailer of "Gone Girl", I started yawning, because I just ascertained that this was going to be another Scott and Lacy Peterson ,'wife gone missing and husband is soon suspected of foul play' type of film. The main reason I was motivated to see this was for Affleck's acting. He's typically a hit and miss, however from the trailer, he looked like he was going to give a riveting performance which he did. After watching this film, I truly got much more than I bargained for.

On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) after entering his home one morning, soon reports that his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police, namely Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and a growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife? Or did he not due to some weird twists in this outlandish story?

Others to round the cast are Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings, longtime friend of Amy's, Tyler Perry as Tanner Bolt, Nick's attorney, Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne, Nick's twin sister, Patrick Fugit as Officer Jim Gilpin, David Clennon as Rand Elliott, Amy's father, Lisa Banes as Marybeth Elliott, Amy's mother, Missi Pyle as Ellen Abbott, Emily Ratajkowski as Andie Hardy, Lola Kirke as Greta, Boyd Holbrook as Jeff, Scoot McNairy as Tommy O'Hara, Sela Ward as Sharon Schieber and Leonard Kelly-Young as Bill Dunne, Nick's father.

This was brilliantly directed by David Fincher ("The Beat of the Live Drum" (Documentary) '85, "Alien 3" '92, "Se7en" '95, "The Game" '97, "Fight Club" '99, "Panic Room" '02, "Zodiac" '07, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" '08, "The Social Network" '10, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" '11). This guy has a true gift in being able to extract that certain intensity out of his actors so it's almost as if you're looking at real people and not actors at work. He has proved this time and again: "Fight Club" and "Se7en" in particular. Now the real question is: Where did the writer, Gillian Flynn come from? Wow, even though this was based on her novel of the same name, her experience in screenwriting is quite limited. Most novelists can't write themselves out of a wet paper bag, however this IS the exception. There is more work she is working on, and no doubt we will be seeing her name more than once in the very near future. I'll tell you, this script simply flowed like water from one scene to the next, and it could've been easily convoluded, because there was a bit of back-tracking here to lead us to the ultimate climax, and what a climax! This has many one, two punches in it that you do NOT see coming, so beware.

What can I say but that what I perceived as an ordinary plot/storyline was truly one well crafted American film that has possible Oscar nods come that time. If a good story, fine acting, directing and writing is your thing, look no farther--this has it all in spades!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: R                                    149mins.