I saw it twice this weekend and I think I may see it at least one more time in theaters. It's a thought provoking movie for our times, really.

I can't wait to see it again. I may actually end up seeing it in theaters again, which I rarely do anymore.

Gone Girl was an interesting film continuing the very bleak month at the movies with A walk among the Tombstones and the Equalizer. And much like those films, I enjoyed most of what I saw but felt they all lacked that final nail. I do think it's easily Fincher's worst film since Panic Room. It's overly long and copies a couple of other better movies along the way. Also while I found the wife's plan extremely clever and expertly executed on screen, She seemed pretty dumb afterwards, and the police might be the most inept police force ever. Fincher films tend to usually steer away from cliches but this film is riddled with a few too many and have no business in such a capable director's film. There is no way she should have won in the end. And that ending! Bleh. It's always frustrating when characters go through so much, only to have no payoff in the end. To have the characters back to square one makes the film overall ineffective and a one time kind of film for me. But what saves this film is the spot on brilliant performances from Pike and Affleck. Supporting actors also (Outside of the really bad white trash couple) I found Fincher's style really worked best for this (Almost reminded me of how No Country was perfect for the Coen Bros.) The bleakness with some humor also made the very slow moving film go by without feeling that long, but I still think a half hour could have been trimmed. Overall I liked it as a movie, but I'm surprised this book is so popular for women. I guess there are a lot out there that wish they could kill their husbands.

B/B+

Fincher Scale
Zodiac, Fight Club A+
The Game, Seven A
The Social Network, Ben Button B+
Panic Room, Gone Girl B
Alien 3 C+/B-

Only if they're married to you, Thegun. Only if they're married to you.

Having spent the last few years following cases like the Trayvon Martin shooting, the Meredith Kercher murder, and other polarizing cases, this has got to be one of the more ignorant utterances of yours and there is plenty of competition just in what I deleted from this post.

Police competency is extremely overrated in my estimation.

Are people that hate the ending upset the Nick didn't kill her? That is what seems to be implied. I love the inconsistencies in Nick's and Amy's actions. Nick is so careful in many respects to not call attention as a suspect and then is so careless and reckless in other matters, the same with Amy. Those inconsistencies are actually more realistic than plot holes that many claim.

Almost all of us love a film like Chinatown and I never hear a complaint about Noah Cross getting away with it in the end. I love films like this, Silence of the Lambs, and Rosemary's Baby, because they embrace the queasiness of allowing bad or evil things or people to exist or escape, because there is no easy happy Hollywood ending in worlds like this, which I think are much more realistic than other films I appreciate like Play Misty for Me or Fatal Attraction where I find the endings to be too pat for the movie that came before it.

It's not that ignorant. And no I am not angry that he didn't kill her.

I worked first hand as a trial correspondent for CBS for 9 murder investigations and trials and other terrible crap (molestations, police homicides, etc.) While I can say that the restraint on the investigation into Nick was pretty good that they didn't jump to conclusions (And the media aspects of a public trial is done quite effectively here.) My point was that once the FBI took over, they kind of really glossed over a lot of simple details that should have implicated her, which has nothing to do with the character flaws that you love. (The whole everyone just kind of saying "eh" knowing what she did seemed weak to me.) If they were really going hardcore about the media, now she is the hero and bulletproof, it works, but not as much as it did with Nick's storyline. Also her wanting to become the media star at the end when it talks about how jaded she was growing up as Amazing Amy, sort of feels like an awkward resolve as well.

I am not sure how a film like Gone Girl and the FBI in it has anything to do with real life police competency though. Real cops would have been able to solve it. (All they'd really have to do is trace NPH's cell and car to the casino and see him on camera with her, which is pretty standard as if he was abducting her all this time, they'd wonder where he went. And that is just one.)

Then you are referring more to law enforcement incompetence than the police, if you are referencing the FBI's mishandling of the case once they became involved. The way it read it seemed like you were implying the North Carthage police department's restraint was inept. When like you I thought it was admirable and realistic if the detective was experienced and understood the difficulty in a homicide without a corpse. It is a relatively recent phenomenon to get a murder conviction without a body.

In addition, once the FBI becomes involved it is their case due to federal jurisdiction. It doesn't matter how good a cop or P.D. is involved and can "solve" the case, it is in some ways bulletproof, because of the perceived "mishandling" of the case originally by NCPD. I have just seen too many cases that are never reopened or really investigated when there is tainted DNA, red paint misidentified as victim or suspect blood, the list in endless.

I think your Cell phone/Casino video footage is a potential plot weakness, as is cellphone GPS during the 30+ days of her disappearance, but I am not sure how much worth it would have. It would just be a loose end if it was investigated. The other evidence would create pressure to not look any further. The FBI is a political entity as much as a LE organization, and I doubt there would be a big push to pick apart her story. There may not be any casino footage available since they met in the bar and not on the floor. Even if some did exist, it may not be clear enough to show it was Amy. I thought she was still in disguise when she first met him, although she may have cleaned up at that point.

After the recent Secret Service allegations, I think I owe White House Down a huge apology.

Well, anyway...

As was the case with the English language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo three years ago, David Fincher's style and sensibilities prove to be the perfect match for Gone Girl. Gillian Flynn's novel is already a twisted, lurid delight that thrives on dark humor and the unreliability of its characters in their narration and motives, and those qualities translate perfectly to the screen. The atmosphere is palpable, the twisted humor hits just the right wicked note, and the suspense and twists are executed so well that I was riveted throughout the entire running time despite knowing exactly what was coming. The cast MVP is, without question, Rosamund Pike. Without going into spoiler-oriented detail, Pike is smashing in a role that is much more complex than it initially appears, and she nails all the different angles required of her. It's clear that she understands this character to a T, and she never misses a beat in her portrayal of the character. Although her co-lead Ben Affleck isn't as impressive, he does some of the better work of his acting career in a performance in which he deftly builds audience sympathy while also presenting a smug front. Affleck also gets a perfect casting match with Carrie Coon as his character's twin sister, who nimbly steals numerous scenes with killer line delivery. Kim Dickens is also commanding as the skeptical detective on the case, as her determination and poise make her a more formidable threat to Affleck's situation than she initially appears to be. The two instances of against-type casting are also aces - Tyler Perry slides into the defense attorney role with easy swagger, and Neil Patrick Harris makes the most of his few scenes as one of Pike's creepy exes. From the blocking of key scenes to the near-seamless flow between timelines and storylines to the expertly-crafted performances, Gone Girl is the great adaptation that its source material deserves, and it stands as easily one of the best films of the year to date.

A

One more thing that I've been meaning to add because it warmed my coffee lover's heart to see it: did anyone else notice the use of coffee cups to characterize Boney and Bolt? The more blue-collar Boney clutches a Dunkin Donuts cup in the majority of her scenes, while we see the decidedly more blue-collar Bolt holding a Starbucks cup during his first meeting with Nick in New York.

I actually found Amy to be a far more sympathetic (albeit insane) character than Nick, right up through the end. This article is a more in-depth analysis but my reading of it was more or less the same:

http://www.vox.com/2014/10/6/6905475/go ... id-fincher

That being said, there is DEFINITELY a lot of material here that easily lends itself to a misogynistic reading of the film, so it isn't like I can't see where those criticisms are coming from... all the more given Fincher's history w/ the critique.

I actually agree with you. Shocking!

As a woman, I've never found Gone Girl's story misogynistic or troubling in any way. Amy is an evil to the bone psychopath, but it has nothing to do with her being a woman. She just is.

And to echo Jiffy's point, Nick is a highly unsympathetic character anyway. Part of the reason the story works so well is that these people are both terrible, even if Nick is not murderous or "crazy" like she is. And that's why I love the ending so much, unlike many...I didn't need to see Amy be punished for her actions. The two of them are stuck with each other, as it should be.

I think it's easy for audiences not familiar with the source material to feel for Nick, "punishment doesn't fit the crime", which is why a lot of the audience's (including the people I've seen it with) first reaction to the film is "what a crazy psycho bitch!"

As for those who hate the ending I'm not really sure what would've worked better. Nick killing Amy? Amy going to jail? zzzzzz. I think these endings would make audiences feel better about how uncomfortable the film made them feel.

It's like what happened with Fatal Attraction. The original ending was that Glenn Close committed suicide but framed Michael Douglas to make it look like murder. Test audiences freaked out and felt "justice wasn't served" and the ending was changed.

In my opinion, Gone Girl's chilly, rather sour ending is perfect for the story.

My Fincher list:

1. Zodiac
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. Fight Club
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Gone Girl
6. Se7en
7. The Game
8. The Social Network
9. Alien³
10. Panic Room

I am not a fan of the ending (novel as movie). I don't mind open endings, but in this particvular case I wanted a satiusfactory ending. That means either Amy losing (brought to justice, killed in some accident whatever) OR a really bleak ending with her winning and Nick going to jail. Not a fan of the neither-here-nor-there ending.

Also, Nick isn't exactly a sympathetic guy, yes, but compared to Amy, he still has my sympathy. C'mon, what he did is not comparable to what she did. Because he might have been a shitty husband, but her warped sense of justice/revenge, through which she fucked up other people (they actually excluded one girl that was in the novel) certainly makes her way less sympathetic. It's not like Nick was her first "victim".

Its an obvious satire of modern society about how everybody really just plays a character, be it someone they kind of are or someone they wish to be. From Nick and Amy to the Nancy Grace knock with no response when Nick calls her out at the very end. The few true characters in the film (Sister, Boney, NPH) get snowballed by the folks who play the game. Its about how quick everyone is to rush judgement on everything, how some are so sure of things they dont know at all, be it from hating Nick to loving him after 1 interview. It's a portrait of how insanely stupid the mainstream thought process is when analyzing so many things. Amy is obviously naturally evil, but a point to consider is many others might be as well and just less open about it, i.e. Nick clearly has hints of evil in him. The witch hunt lead by the Nancy Grace knocks have evil in them which they essentially justify via ignorance.

The ending has them both accepting that society has made playing the characters rather than themselves is the best choice for both of them, and it sends a clear message, IMO

you fucking bitch

Damn this was insane. A bit too long, but the more it went on the better it got. Never read the book, but I dug Fincher's take with the moody/eerie atmosphere and the score is pretty awesome too.

Rosamund Pike knocks it out of the park and Batfleck is really solid. The banter between him and his sister is pure gold and had me laughing a lot. The dark humor at play here works perfectly within the context of the movie and it's definitely funnier when it completely catches you off-guard.

It was weird seeing NPH playing such a creepy character though and I don't know how much I bought it considering it's fucking NPH, but his death scene is truly something memorable.

Ha. And yeah idk what it says about me and my personal attitude toward infidelity that I even found myself rooting for Amy after the full reveal of how Nick had used her (albeit not from the beginning) and had planned to discard her.

I thought the scene where Amy recounts how she discovered the affair might have been the most resonant on an emotional level. I don't know how it is played out in the book, but the way Pike played the scene as if blindsided gives the impression that Amy mentally snapped after that.

Of course that still isn't an excuse for what Amy did to Nick, but I honestly would not have cared if he actually had been sentenced to death. The most unsympathetic aspect of her character is really her first false accusation of rape; NPH was too creepy/dehumanizing for me to empathize.

But yeah, I think a lot of credit goes to how well Pike played the part in pretty much every scene from the reveal mid-way through to the end. Funny enough, I found the initial scenes with her as the "cool girl" to be the least convincing, but I guess that makes sense as a role Amy had played.

GONE GIRL

I loved this film. I did not read the book but I plan on doing that now. This film was so interesting and memorable to me. The acting, the story and the plot turns had me from the very beginning. Rosamund Pike was amazing in this. This is to me like Kathy Bates level. Anthony Hopkins level stuff where you can make a horrible devious person so memorable and interesting. Affleck was also very good in playing a guy who may have killed his wife or may not have and that kept you unsure up until her character appears. There were a couple times in the film where I didn't what might happen. She could have been killed by that trash couple or killed by NPH's character or still have killed herself. One moment that came towards the end was the day she returned after her "escape" and she and Affleck had their first night back together. My heart was thumping not knowing what could happen. Could he really kill her this time or could she do something to him. I was on the edge of my seat during that sequence. Anyway, I just loved this film. I'm happy for it's success and hope it gets a slew of awards recognition. This is my current favorite film of 2014.

Grade - A

anybody else kinda wish there would be a sequel?

I didn't know much about this movie at all to the extent that I thought Gone Girl might be about Ben Affleck trying to find his daughter (maybe it was because the Taken 3 trailer started out the movie)...

But once this started, wow! Will likely be the most talked about movie of the fall. At two dinner's I went to this week people were talking about the film and I moved away to avoid hearing any spoilers. Definitely will be talked about and will have a leggy run.

Not much to add on top of what everyone else said. But can't believe my least favorite James Bond Movie finally had something good come out of it (Miranda Frost). As the movie was going along I felt a What Lies Beneath vibe but then it elevates past that. What Basic Instinct did for Sharon Stone in terms of making her role iconic, I think could happen here with Pike. Just a jaw dropping performance that completely came out of left field.

A

Fight Club
Gone Girl
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Social Network
Zodiac
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Panic Room

need to watch Seven again... and I don't really have the urge to but I think I should watch BB again, barely remember it.

1. Se7en
2. Fight Club
3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

4. The Social Network
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. Gone Girl

7. Zodiac
8. Panic Room
9. Alien 3

I don't remember much about The Game.

My problems with Gone Girl are pretty well covered by Dr. Lecter's posts in this thread.