Gone Girl

Some time ago now I read and enjoyed Headhunters, the Norwegian book by Jo Nesbo, which was then followed by the equally enjoyable film of the same name. Unlike Headhunters, Gone Girl became a huge literary success after release, and was soon picked up to be taken to the silver screen, but how would Hollywood handle this heated marital drama/thriller?

The premise is quite simple; a wife goes missing and everyone soon suspects the husband of murder. As in keeping with the book, the story cuts between the present with husband, Nick Dunne, trying to keep a cool head in a hot summer while eyes start turning towards him, and the past as wife, Amy, becomes fearful of her safety.

Without spoilers, the book made for a compelling read and it is good to see not much has changed in the transition to film. This maybe down to director David Fincher, a man known for knowing what he wants in his films having been burned by, and disowning, Alien3, which received heavy studio interference early on in his career. Ever since then he has made gripping, dark and unsettling films his way that keep the audience engaged. He has sometimes broken away from murder stories (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Social Network) but is always consistent in his trademark style and it is present, and well-suited, here in Gone Girl.

Whereas Headhunters took a few large steps in changing some character backgrounds to avoid alienating the audience, Fincher is generally quite consistent with the transition and it should not disappoint readers who have yet to see this. Obviously there are some scenes missing but they only came to mind after watching and did not interrupt my enjoyment of the film. Quite often in shows such as Game of Thrones where one character's backstory can fill an entire series and reading the source material may help, Gone Girl certainly isn't a film that requires reading the book first.

Fincher keeps the story moving along with a continuous sense of unease running throughout adding to the tension, but credit should also be given to Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck in the leading roles. Both fit the characters perfectly and perform well together, with Pike deserving her Oscar nomination. Supporting cast members Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris and Carrie Coon also capture their characters nicely and will please readers despite the reduced role each have.

While I would not rate this as the director's strongest work to date, Gone Girl is certainly a great film and it's hard to imagine anyone better suited to the role other than Fincher. For anyone in the mood of drama that is both dark and unsettling, Gone Girl is the film for you.