Gone Girl (Fincher, 2014)

Hitchcock is cursing out the heavens for not letting him live long enough to direct such a juicy, twisty mystery.

In the vein of the Master of Suspense himself, David Fincher does marvelous work with Gone Girl, one of the best mysteries of recent years. Based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the screenplay), the film is a startling look at love and marriage, told in the moody atmosphere that Fincher films often adapt.

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) is the husband of the recently-missing Amy (Rosamund Pike), and he is slowly becoming the lead suspect. As the film progresses, the audience learns how flawed their marriage was, and with each new clue Nick comes closer to being arrested. His twin (Carrie Coon), a dedicated detective (Kim Dickens), and a popular defense attorney (Tyler Perry) are the only friends Nick has in a country captivated by "Amazing Amy"'s disappearance.

Spoilers should be avoided like the plague; the less you know about the plot, the better the suspense is. There's enough twists and turns in the screenplay to circle the planet three times, and there's some really poignant dialogue and powerful symbolism. The movie also plays with narration in really interesting ways, and it's fascinating to watch the story unfold. It's hard not to get swept away in the thrill of the story, and the solid adaptation makes sure of that.

This is arguably the best performance Ben Affleck has ever given. For a man who's won accolades for directing, his acting has never been stellar. However, perhaps due to his own run-ins with the crazed media during "Bennifer", Affleck is totally believable as the questionable Nick. From his controversial smile in front of Amy's poster, to his constant reminders that he did not do anything to his wife, the Oscar-winner proves he is indeed capable of a good performance if the right role appears.

I have been a fan of Rosamund Pike since her first appearance as Bond girl Miranda Frost in the 2002 movie Die Another Day, and I'm so happy she's finally getting the recognition she deserves. She is captivating as Amy Dunne, featured in flashbacks and re-enactments of past diary entries. Amy is easily the most complex and fascinating character in Gone Girl, and fans of the novel will not be disappointed by her depiction on the silver screen. Pike gives my favorite female performance of the year so far, and has a very good shot at being at least nominated for an Academy Award.

Other actors such as Perry, Dickens, and Neil Patrick Harris also do memorable work, though the two leads steal the show. The supporting characters exist in the narrative just to give a moral line between the contrasting views of Nick's reality and Amy's diary. Coon is the only standout performance besides the married couple, as the hilarious yet devoted twin to Nick.

David Fincher has a strong following, and Gone Girl proves that he's one of the greatest directors in the industry today. While he's had some middling box office success in recent years, his work is almost always beloved by critics. His infamous control of actors comes through yet again, and he does not waste a shot. He never reveals too much at any given time, ensuring the maximum amount of suspense possible. Also, pay close attention to the opening credits: they're very short, and each line only appears on the screen for half a second before it disappears. It sets up the tense nature of the film ahead, and makes viewers notice each cut.

If there's one fault with Gone Girl, it's the length. At nearly two-and-a-half hours, the ending especially prattles on without end (grant it, a large Coke will do that to you, and I'm sure with a pause button the movie would seem a lot shorter). Besides that, the editing is fantastic, and there's a deliberate pacing to the story. Not a scene seems unimportant, and you won't want to miss a second.

Some of the themes addressed in the film include the problems with modern marriage, society's obsession with beautiful missing people, economic problems in everyday life, and the lasting effect of parents on humans even as adults. It feels very contemporary in it's ideas, but the story itself is a classic thriller. It's entertaining, fun, and a cultural phenomenon that needs to be experienced and discussed.

The Master himself is lamenting that he will never be able to work with Rosamund Pike- the perfect Hitchcock blonde.