Movie Review: GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Patrick Fugit, Kim Dickens, Missi Pyle, Sela Ward

When I heard that David Fincher was going to tackle the big screen adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s hot bestseller Gone Girl, I knew that he was the perfect choice. I have proclaimed my love and adoration for the guy many times before. With films like Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Se7en under his belt, he has tackled his fair share of thrillers, mysteries, and devious crimes. Amy (Pike) and Nick (Affleck) Dunne seem like the perfect couple. They are smart, creative, attractive, and live in a wealthy neighborhood. She grew up in the spotlight, as she was the subject of her parents’s “Amazing Amy” children’s books. The fictional Amy was always one step ahead of the real life inspiration.

One their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick stops home and discovers their glass coffee table has been shattered, and Amy is nowhere to be found. Her disappearance causes a media frenzy that shakes the neighborhood, and Nick becomes the number one suspect. Press conferences, continuing police interrogation, and a candle light vigil continue to put Nick in the spotlight even though he claims he had nothing to due with Amy’s disappearance. The only people he feels like he can trust are his sister Margo (Coon) and his hot shot lawyer Tanner Bolt (Perry).

If you have read Flynn’s novel, you know it is a juicy pager turner. It will be a relief to any moviegoer to know that she also wrote the screenplay, so you can trust that it’s a faithful adaptation. Even down to the structure of how the book is laid out, the film stays true to that  without feeling like it’s been compromised for a different medium. From the outside, you may think this seems like your standard murder mystery. She is cunning in that just when you think you’ve got it figured it, she flips the whole story on its head and takes it to a whole different dimension, much like the marriage of the main two characters. I read the book some time ago, so some of the more minute details were not as fresh on my mind when watching the movie. Despite knowing the major twists and turns she takes us on, I was still hooked and drawn in as if I was watching this all unfold for the first time.

I would assume with her involvement in the movie, she was fairly particular with who would be directing the film. David Fincher’s last film was the adaptation of the bestselling mystery The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He has become the master at these types of pulsating thrillers that wrestle inside of you. He has a way of digging deep into something and finding a layer that rumbles deep within. If you saw The Social Network, you know that it’s more than just some movie about Facebook. He can take a novel like Gone Girl and shape it into something that’s more than a bedside page-turner. Part of this comes from his use of the media and how it plays out like an integral character in the movie. Fincher really drives home the power that the media and various news outlets can have on a crime as shocking and mysterious as the disappearance of Amy. Immediately Nick becomes the target of a Nancy Grace type news reporter played by Missi Pyle (The Artist, Big Fish). Cameras, news vans, and hoards of people station themselves in front of Nick’s home watching his every move. It’s a powerful commentary on this sensation that we live in a 24-hour news society. You see very easily how the citizens react and trust anything that they hear in the news. Nick’s interview with another reporter (Ward) is expertly crafted to show him in just the right light in hopes of winning back the people’s support.

Fincher continues his collaboration with composers Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor who won the Oscar for their score to The Social Network. Their music here may be their most subtle work to date. It rests in the background perfectly complimenting each scene without ever feeling that it’s taking over the scene itself. Only in the film’s more shocking moments does it ring out loud and clear like a Bernard Hermann score.

Whoever doubted Fincher’s casting of either Rosamund Pike or Ben Affleck or even Tyler Perry (yes, Madea himself) should remember to trust all of his casting decisions. He likes casting unknown actresses or actresses that don’t come with a background of work that we may stereotype them for. You may have seen Pike as a Bond girl in Die Another Day or in The World’s End, but she isn’t a huge household name yet. Here’s hoping she is the talk of the awards season as she gives a dynamic performance that will be one of the best of the year. Amy Dunne is such a rich and complex character. I would hate to spoil too much by talking about the ins and outs of her character, but Pike digs deep into the soul and psychological depth of Amy that starts to unfold in the movie. Affleck gives one of the best performances of his career. Fincher cast him due to his relationship with the media and the scrutiny he is under being part of a Hollywood power couple. There are stereotypes and visions we have of Affleck that are brought on by the media that work in conjunction with his character. Affleck keeps Nick guarded and on the verge of being unreliable. He’s always playing and toying with the idea of whether or not Nick is a bad guy. He isn’t the weeping and inconsolable husband when Amy goes missing, but does that automatically make him guilty?

Fincher is known to be a meticulous director often demanding an abundance of takes and a sharp look at every piece of the puzzle. With a film like this, you have to have a detail-oriented craftsman in charge. Flynn’s novel is a winding road of twists and turns taking the audience on a very specific journey. You have to know what you are doing in order to stay ahead of the audience. Fincher’s eye and ways of working with his actors keeps us in the palm of his hand. We continue to second-guess who’s in charge in this he said/she said world. We grow to question, not just the characters of Amy and Nick, but of those others around them as to whether they are allies or enemies. Gone Girl is another homerun for David Fincher. It has a high place on my best of the year list, and I cannot wait to see it again.

Is It Worth Your Trip to the Movies? Absolutely. I don’t think they could have made a better adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s novel.

RATING: 5 out of 5 TICKET STUBS

Movie Trailer: GONE GIRL

GONE GIRL
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Missi Pyle, Tyler Perry, Patrick Fugit, Scoot McNairy, Sela Ward

When it was first announced that David Fincher would tackle Gillian Flynn's bestseller novel "Gone Girl", I got a giddy excitement inside of me. I am a huge fan of Fincher's work, and he is perfect at those dark, mysterious stories. He completely nailed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you have read the book, you know you will be in for one hell of a ride. Amy (Pike) and Nick (Affleck) Dunne seem like the perfect gorgeous couple. On their fifth anniversary, Amy goes missing and Nick becomes the number one suspect. What follows is a twisty ride of deceit, deception, and mystery that was their marriage. It should be known that author Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay for the movie. In an article in "Entertainment Weekly", Ben Affleck mentioned how she rewrote the whole third act of the movie that takes it in a different direction than the book. Who knows if that is true or a ploy to keep the movie a mystery, but I am intrigued to see what these changes are going to be like.

RELEASE DATE: October 3, 2014

Here's the trailer

Movie Rewind: THANKS FOR SHARING (2013)

THANKS FOR SHARING (2013)
Director: Stuart Blumberg
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Robbins, Joely Richardson, Josh Gad, Alecia Moore, Patrick Fugit, Carol Kane

There are many films and stories out there about alcoholics and drug addicts. You do not see too many regarding sex addiction. Even one of the characters questions if that is even a "thing" or not. Adam (Ruffalo) is celebrating another milestone in his sex addiction support group. He seems fully aware of his triggers and is pretty strong at being committed to his recovery. His sponsor/mentor and fellow addict Mike (Robbins) is there to celebrate with him. Mike's past addiction has caused a rift in his family as he has a strained relationship with his son Danny (Fugit), who also struggles with abuse. Neil (Gad) and Dede (Moore) are the newest members of the group each coming in with their own baggage.

The film is an ensemble story that follows each of our addicts and their road to recovery. Adam starts a relationship with health nut and cancer survivor Phoebe (Paltrow). The risks of starting a new and healthy relationship prove hard for someone struggling with sex addiction and knowing what boundaries they are comfortable with together. She also makes it clear that she does not want to date an addict. Mike and his wife (Richardson) have conflicting thoughts when Danny shows up unexpectedly and wants to live at their place for some time. Trust between both of them comes into play. Dede and Neil are always there for each other as they are quick to slip up while on the program.

Like I previously mentioned, you do not see many stories about sexual addiction unless it is about some celebrity using that as an excuse to help their image. This film shines a light on the aftermath of what it is like in the recovery stages. One of the biggest takeaways is the power of the support group. The support group is the safe ground for our characters to talk about their struggles and accomplishments they have had in recovery. They are surrounded by people that truly know what they are going through. Long lasting friendships and new relationships begin at group between sponsors and their sponsees. The bond and connection they have for each other is so vital in the recovery process as it helps each one of them stay accountable and can be a knowledgeable resource if someone feels at a breaking point or in jeopardy of falling off the bandwagon. This story follows these characters who are all at different stages of their recovery, but I wanted to know more about the recovery process. Mike has spent much of his adult life in recovery. Adam is starting to date again and is conflicted about what will set him over the edge. Are there certain rules in a sex addiction support group about what is or isn't allowed or is it all based on that individual? Obviously with alcoholics anonymous or a drug addiction group, those vices are strictly forbidden. Does the same hold true in this instance?

Writer/Director Stuart Blumberg is making his directorial debut here. He previously co-wrote the Oscar-nominated hit The Kids Are All Right with Lisa Cholodenko. If you are looking for a dark and heavy-hitting drama, you will not find that here. Don't get me wrong as there are some serious moments that are very touching and sincere, but the film takes a more positive and hopeful look at these people in their recovery stages. Josh Gad and Alecia Moore have been given more of the lighter and comedic story lines using Gad's natural broad physical comedy type of routine we know he is very capable of. You may not recognize the name Alecia Moore as you probably know her as the singer Pink. This is the second film she has been in and feels right at home on screen. There is a life and effervescence about her even though acting is not her claim to fame. Sometimes singers can have a hard time transitioning from song to screen, but Moore/Pink makes a flawless transition. Here is hoping she continues on in this field in between her successful albums. Patrick Fugit is another standout here with some wonderful scenes between him and Robbins. Robbins actually introduced Fugit to this screenplay and helped him get the part. I have been a fan of his ever since Almost Famous. Blumberg has received some flack about writing dopey characters in his screenplay, but I disagree. I found all of them believable and easy to relate to in some aspect. I think the idea behind sex addiction is still fairly unknown so people may be more hesitant to buy into these characters or story lines if they have issues with sex addiction as a whole or if they have never stepped foot into a support group of any sort whether its for AA, drug addiction, food addiction, etc... Blumberg uses fairly normal everyday people as the subjects here and shows that really anyone can have this sort of issue or problem and that you might not even know it.

Thanks for Sharing was a little indie film that came out around the end of summer 2013. It may have gotten lost in the shuffle due to the summer season winding down or it's mediocre reviews. It serves as a good introduction to people that may be unfamiliar with sex addiction while taking a look at the recovery end of it. There are some funny moments along the way and the obligatory scenes to pull at the heart strings. Blumberg has a good cast of actors from a variety of backgrounds to pull it off nicely.

RATING: **** (4 out of 5 stars)