Gone Girl

Gone Girl directed by David Fincher, starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, and Sela Ward.

David Fincher is one of best directors out there making movies right now.  This movie only further cements his status.  He is a master of using conversation, instead of all out action set pieces, to create tension and build suspense.  I don't find many directors out there who even compare to what he does.  His editing is also some of the best and he doesn't get cared away with quick MTV style of edits or cuts, he actually directs movies - which seems like a rare feat in Hollywood today.  This movie is about 2 and 1/2 hours long but feels like 2 hours, that takes a good director to do that, not to many directors today can get away with this.  I can't say enough about the pacing of this movie, it never slows down nor does the twists and turns of this movie feel cheap or forced, everything flows with an organic speed not found in movies now.

The story itself works with a inner logic that would have made Hitchcock proud.  It is a wonder lust of a good story, with good characters, good acting, and a solid production design to fully back up everything that happens within the movie.  This is a full out, onslaught commentary on marriage and media, which has a no holds barred approach that will either infuriate people or make them happy.  I don't think there will be much of a middle ground here on this movie.  Fincher does a great job of not finding that middle ground with an ending that gut punched everyone but one that is true to the story line and doesn't feel cheap in anyway possible.

I also loved how my perception of characters changed, for good or bad, in this story as certain information was revealed.  This was a bold move that I don't find in a lot movies but one that Fincher has handled well in a lot of his movies: The Social Network and Fight Club being two of them that maneuvered around this shifting of perspective with some great ease.  I'm also glad Fincher isn't afraid to do this and challenge his viewers to think outside of the standard box Hollywood has set up for every movie being some sort of variation of a popcorn movie. 

A perfectly cast, perfectly acted, perfectly directed, and perfectly designed film, well worth seeing, time will not be wasted.  But be warned it is a little disturbing and violent but not in a exploitative or shocking way but one that works within the narrative of the film.