‘Gone Girl’ Movie Offers Surprises

Take_Two Logo

Hear “Take Two Movie Reviews” every Saturday and Sunday on WHAV.

Despite being marketed as an action-thriller “Gone Girl” is more of a psychological portrait of two people which asks the question: is it possible to ever truly know someone especially if that someone happens to be your spouse?

Based on the runaway bestseller by Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl” first appears to be the relatively straightforward tale of a suburban woman gone missing and her increasingly suspiciously-looking husband. The couple, Nick and Amy Dunne appear on the surface to have it all, but like everything else in the movie, things aren’t always what they appear.

While there was some controversy casting Ben Affleck as Nick Dunn-mainly because he is considerably older than the character is in the book-he does a more than adequate job here. The fact that his Nick bears an uncanny resemblance to the real life convicted wife-killer Scott Peterson is more than mere coincidence. However, it is British actress Rosamund Pike who plays Amy that is the real revelation here. While unknown to American audiences, that could rapidly change with the success of Gone Girl. Without giving away any spoilers, the role of Amy is challenging and requires an actress to adopt a wide-range of personas which Pike does with stunning conviction. Likewise, Tyler Perry gives a surprisingly good performance in a small but important role as the celebrity criminal defense attorney hired by Nick to defend himself against the charges that he kidnapped and murdered Amy. Additionally, his character provides some of the few rare comedic moments in the movie. Casting Perry in an unexpected role fits with the overall theme of the movie: drop any preconceptions and prepare to be surprised for what follows.

One thought on “‘Gone Girl’ Movie Offers Surprises