Gone Girl
Director: David Fencher
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Missi Pyle
When his wife mysteriously vanishes on their 5th wedding anniversary, a husband’s strange behavior illuminates a dark web of lies and secrets, and the identity of the true villain leaves a town in shock.
They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but for Amy Elliott Dunne, this notion is conveyed literally after she discovers that her husband is having an affair with one of his students. Amy’s revenge comes when she chooses to reclaim the power that her husband took from her by orchestrating her own murder and framing him for it. In a very real sense, she transforms the metaphorical death that she felt while living with her husband into a literal death born from a perfect lie.
The irony is that Amy’s illusion is that Amy is a sympathetic villain; the kind that one can simultaneously pity and fear. She plays on the audiences emotions by drawing them into her plight as a victim of her parents’ exploitation and her husband’s abuse, and she plays on the emotions of her old flame by rekindling their romance after she leaves her husband and then manipulating his murder to paint him as her abuser instead of Nick. Her feelings for her husband are restored when she hears his heartfelt admission of love for her on television, and she returns to him, but she makes it very clear that she is still in very much in control. As the couple shares their renewed love for each other, one wonders if they are truly happy, or if the toxic relationship shared between husband and wife means they deserve each other.
Nick Dunne is a character who goes from being a vile, misogynistic aristo-brat to being a helpless pawn in his wife’s psychotic game. He starts out as a charming romantic, but as their story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that Amy feels less like his wife and more like an afterthought. As their marriage deteriorates, Amy’s thoughts in her journal begin to reflect the anguish that she feels as her husband’s cruelty and abuse becomes more brutal. In the aftermath of Amy’s disappearance, Nick’s behavior does little to convey that he is emotionally traumatized. Instead of mourning for his missing wife, he finds comfort in the arms of another woman; a woman that he is apparently having an affair with. Despite his grave lack of character though, Nick has some redeeming quality. He remains steadfast in his search for the truth despite everything being against him, and he is honorable because after his wife literally puts him through hell, he still chooses to remain with her and raise their child even though his heart tells him to leave her.
"Gone Girl" is a perfect suspense thriller. The story is brilliantly conveyed, and has enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing from start to finish. The casting is stellar, particularly in the case of Rosamund Pike, who brings a beautiful but deadly essence to the character of Amy Dunne. I would highly recommend this film for anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful movie.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: David Fencher
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Missi Pyle
When his wife mysteriously vanishes on their 5th wedding anniversary, a husband’s strange behavior illuminates a dark web of lies and secrets, and the identity of the true villain leaves a town in shock.
They say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but for Amy Elliott Dunne, this notion is conveyed literally after she discovers that her husband is having an affair with one of his students. Amy’s revenge comes when she chooses to reclaim the power that her husband took from her by orchestrating her own murder and framing him for it. In a very real sense, she transforms the metaphorical death that she felt while living with her husband into a literal death born from a perfect lie.
The irony is that Amy’s illusion is that Amy is a sympathetic villain; the kind that one can simultaneously pity and fear. She plays on the audiences emotions by drawing them into her plight as a victim of her parents’ exploitation and her husband’s abuse, and she plays on the emotions of her old flame by rekindling their romance after she leaves her husband and then manipulating his murder to paint him as her abuser instead of Nick. Her feelings for her husband are restored when she hears his heartfelt admission of love for her on television, and she returns to him, but she makes it very clear that she is still in very much in control. As the couple shares their renewed love for each other, one wonders if they are truly happy, or if the toxic relationship shared between husband and wife means they deserve each other.
Nick Dunne is a character who goes from being a vile, misogynistic aristo-brat to being a helpless pawn in his wife’s psychotic game. He starts out as a charming romantic, but as their story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that Amy feels less like his wife and more like an afterthought. As their marriage deteriorates, Amy’s thoughts in her journal begin to reflect the anguish that she feels as her husband’s cruelty and abuse becomes more brutal. In the aftermath of Amy’s disappearance, Nick’s behavior does little to convey that he is emotionally traumatized. Instead of mourning for his missing wife, he finds comfort in the arms of another woman; a woman that he is apparently having an affair with. Despite his grave lack of character though, Nick has some redeeming quality. He remains steadfast in his search for the truth despite everything being against him, and he is honorable because after his wife literally puts him through hell, he still chooses to remain with her and raise their child even though his heart tells him to leave her.
"Gone Girl" is a perfect suspense thriller. The story is brilliantly conveyed, and has enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing from start to finish. The casting is stellar, particularly in the case of Rosamund Pike, who brings a beautiful but deadly essence to the character of Amy Dunne. I would highly recommend this film for anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful movie.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.