October 3, 2014

Review: 'Gone Girl' a surprising off-kilter thriller

"Whaaaat?!!! No! Really? What happens next?" That was the audience response when the credits rolled at Thursday night's 10 o'clock showing of David Fincher's film of Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl." If you're looking for a black-and-white, tidy tale of mystery and suspense, this movie isn't for you. If you like your thrillers odd, off-kilter and leading to long debates with friends and coworkers at the water cooler, bar or coffee shop, then you've found your film...

Bart Williams

"Whaaaat?!!! No! Really? What happens next?"

That was the audience response when the credits rolled at Thursday night's 10 o'clock showing of David Fincher's film of Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl." If you're looking for a black-and-white, tidy tale of mystery and suspense, this movie isn't for you. If you like your thrillers odd, off-kilter and leading to long debates with friends and coworkers at the water cooler, bar or coffee shop, then you've found your film.

Let me air a few disclosures: I haven't read the book. And I missed most of the excitement of the local filming. The last time I saw Rosamund Pike, she was performing in a play, married to the Marquis de Sade. It didn't go well. Fortunately, much of "Gone Girl" goes right.

Most movies seem to be written in a three-act structure -- beginning, middle and end. "Gone Girl" seems to have four. It seems both retro and somehow nouveau. "Gone Girl" is funny, satirical and suspenseful, and it teases the audience to stay one step ahead of the action.

The acting is strong. Rosamund Pike is firmly in control of "Amazing Amy" Dunne. She is engaging, terrifying, subtle and fearless. Carrie Coon -- as Margo, aka Go -- the twin sister of Nicke Dunne, played by Ben Affleck, is both grounded and earthily determined. Neil Patrick Harris, as Desi Collings, keeps the audience beautifully on edge. Tyler Perry as Tanner Bolt and the wonderful Kim Dickens as Detective Boney create magic from what, in lesser hands, might've been caricatures; their work deserves particular praise.

As for Affleck? Well, this is the fun part. Fincher and Affleck have a lot of fun playing up his much maligned wooden acting style. A scene, involving gummy bears, is priceless. He is consistent and strong, and he is the rock upon which the story unfolds. He is both the everyman and the stooge, and his commitment and focus are commendable. Will some people have issues with him? Of course. And that is the beauty of this film.

"Gone Girl" is not "Se7en." It is not "Fight Club." It is not "The Social Network." Like Fincher's other films, it has it's own rhythm, tempo and style. If you are looking for the broody, dark-filtered ambience of "Alien 3," you will feel unfulfilled. If you are looking for the precise claustrophobia of "Panic Room," this will test your patience.

There is a deceptively languid pace to "Gone Girl," especially the first 25 minutes. It is like a test.Once the attention shifts to Amy as Nancy playing putt-putt, viewers will want a rewind button. When Amy starts playing with security camera footage, I found myself wanting a legal pad to map out camera angles. When Affleck's Nick locks his bedroom door, there's an empathetic urge to count the knives left in the kitchen drawer.

The score, by Trent Reznor, is both sparse and effective. Unlike the omnipresent darkness of "Se7en", "Gone Girl" saves its striking presence for syncopated moments. The effect is off-kilter anticipation.

Visually, "Gone Girl" is a treat because Fincher seems out of his comfort zone, content to use a diverse palate. Scenes are neither uniformly dark and brooding, nor all incandescent light, nor over-reliant on fluorescent. In many scenes this grand experiment works, such as those at Margo's or Nick's father's house. However, in others, it just seems tentative -- such as the scenes at the police station.

Visually, some of the most interesting elements are those involving either wealth or water. Amy's brownstone in New York, Desi's Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired lake house, the retro low-rent resort, and the Bill Emerson Memorial bridge. In fact, the bridge is perhaps the third most important character in the movie -- it is both a passive and visually stunning accomplice to the action.

Are there flaws in "Gone Girl?" Yes. The first act is too bare. Amy's parents are cyphers and not fully realized. Visually, the audience wants a little more embrace of the cinematic possibilities of the Mississippi. Toward the finale, the film's pace needs to maintain more of a hearty clip; when it lingers too long on plot twists, logical errors become evident. But these irritations are minor.

"Gone Girl" is a pleasant surprise. It follows in the tradition of movies like "Diabolique" and "Purple Noon." Like its flawed protagonist, it is sophisticated and stylish. It both teases and dares its audience to come along for the wild ride.

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Bart Williams is an assistant professor of acting, movement and stage combat at The Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University.

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