Film Review: Gone Girl (18) (U.S.A. 2014) (Director: David Fincher), The Cameo Cinema Screen One, Edinburgh, Thursday 02.10.2014 20:30

This is the new David Fincher film, the one about the wife who goes missing and the community, media and police suspect the husband. David Fincher has not misfired often in his career, being the director behind such great films as 'Seven' (1995), 'Fight Club' (1999) & my personal favorite of his, 'Zodiac' (2007). In my opinion, on first viewing, this is an equal to 'Zodiac'. By the end of the film, I found my self wanting to return to the start, to see if there signs/clues that I had not noticed before. The film is 2 & 1/2 Hours long, though it zips by, so much so that by about half way in I was aware of not having moved my body at all for the first half, and by then had numb-bum. 

I don't really wish to say anything about the content of the film beyond the initial premise I covered in the first sentence above. The film is flawlessly constructed and acted, particularly with Ben Affleck playing the role of the husband who is hard to warm to, and most notably Rosamund Pike as the inscrutable wife. I heard someone say on late-night radio a couple of evenings previous that the performance from Rosamund was going to be a game-changer in terms of her career. I have to concur completely with this reaction. With a lesser performance the film would have been in danger of not working nearly so well. Rosamund is the mesmerising centre of the film. 

There are at least three occasions where there are big, plausible twists that I did not see coming. It is such a finely balanced film, that I found sympathies oscillating back and forth. By the end sympathies are still there, though they have taken a bashing. 

The film is a very good portrayal of the regrettable narcissism that can be at the centre of people who are involved in such situations & members of the media and community that fixate and obsess over such local tragedies; and by their focus assist to perpetuate such crimes being committed. Again, as with most films I particularly appreciate, there is no easy tied-up ending. The ending is actually quite uncomfortable and claustrophobic. Though given all that had preceded it in the film, it has the right ending. 

When I heard this film was being released I was unsure, the combination of the Ben & Fincher initially did not appeal. Affleck is one who I generally feel cautious about (don't get me started on the prospect of him being the new Batman) and Fincher has not always struck gold, examples being 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' (2011) (not a patch on the Swedish original) & 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (2008). Essentially the film was getting such high chat and praise I became curious and I'm glad I did. This is easily in my top three films of the year so far. 

I cannot recommend this highly enough.   

Rating: 10/10.