David Fincher's "Gone Girl"

JP Liz V1

Betty Bloggs wrote: »

I read the book and thought the film was done pretty well. Enjoyed it, and thought the lead actress Pike was a good choice. I don't know much of her other work but felt she suited the role well.

I think Carrie Coon who played Margo was possibly the best actress in it though! First time I saw her was in The Leftovers and I really liked her in that too.
She's a very good actress imo.

I was against Pike's casting at the start but she did well here in the role

candy-gal1

Really loved this, not what i was expecting at all but in a very good way - one of those movies you could watch again and again imho, go see it is all i say!

smilerxxx

I read the book and was irritated by the ending, but in hindsight it probably did exactly what it was suppose to do. Hopefully I'll get to see this tonight. If I get a good sleep once this shift ends I should be ok.

The Black Oil

If there's one word to sum this up it's probably obsession. That applies to the relationship side, and the media saturation. With a solid script, I think it's a pretty good film and has got David Fincher's rigour and skill built into its DNA. My sense is that Fincher likes to test his audience a little and I suspect this will be a little divisive. It's hard to say much without getting into spoilers. In the back half of the film it might skirt around the edges of veering off the rails somewhat, right from the off, though, there's never any sense of an obvious resolution. Tyler Perry is surprisingly effective as the charming, confident lawyer and it's good to see Kim Dickens (detective) get some profile, too. As for Rosamund Pike, to me, there's a detached element to her character that's informed by her performance rather than any perceived lack of on screen charisma. Bit of a messed up film, in parts.

Essien

I thought this was only Ok, and I'm a fan of Fincher. Maybe I was expecting something else having not read the book but I just thought this got a bit absurd for my liking.

I don't know Rosamund Pike from anything else but her voice was a bit jarring, like listening to a sat nav! And I'm sorry but I just couldn't take NPH seriously here at all.

The dark humour was brilliant though in fairness, so was Affleck and most of the supporting cast.

shalalala

Not sure if the problem was with my showing or the film, but the flashback scenes had the soundtrack quite a bit louder then the speech. Made it very difficult to hear pike in particular.

I am not a huge fan of her but she carries this role well apart from the strange voice.

I agree Margo was the best thing about the film and the cast was pretty damn good.

The film was slightly too long for my liking even though I was glad that they didn't cut much out.

What was the twist that wasn't in the book though? This is something that has confused me greatly

Essien

shalalala wrote: »

Not sure if the problem was with my showing or the film, but the flashback scenes had the soundtrack quite a bit louder then the speech. Made it very difficult to hear pike in particular.

Yeah I got that too, it was pretty annoying.

Snake Plisken

Just back from seeing it, thought it was pretty good adaptation to the book, where I was disappointed with the ending of the book, I felt the movie ending worked well even though there was not much difference between movie and book ending. Casting worked fine for me as when I was reading the book during the summer I pictured Ben and Rosmary as the main characters. Loved the dark humour in it as well, Fincher does this type of movie well, it's no Se7en or Zodiac but comes highly recommended.

Looper007

I loved it nowhere near the masterpieces of Se7en, Fight Club or Zodiac but it runs them close still Fincher's best in years. I think it's obvious now that Rosamund Pike is the best thing in it and the film is at it's strongest when

her act of the film when you find out her plotting to set up her husband for murder and when we follow her around, she's the best villain I've seen in years

. She will never top her performance as Amy, I expect an Oscar Nom coming her way.

Ben Affleck also turns in his best performance to date as Nick Dunne, he's a asshole

having an affair with a college student, using his wife for money and been a bit of a lazy bum

but I felt for him in the end

Stuck in a loveless marriage having to stick with a wife who's clearly a psychopath who will turn on him at any minute if he pisses her off so he can protect his child

. That's what I loved about this film that Fincher and Gillian Flynn having the balls to have two so dislikeable main characters is a brave call.

Tyler Perry and Carrie Coon as Affleck's Twin sister (isn't she the only really likeable character in the movie) give very good performances. Loved some of the dark humour in it mostly coming from Almost Famous's Patrick Fugit's police officer who just wants everything done and dusted. A Very good thriller and Fincher's best film since Zodiac.

Memnoch

I liked the film and it's a fun entertaining thriller with some serious points to make about modern marriage.

But am I the only one who found it a little mysoginistic in its outlook and portrayal of wives who Amy supposedly represents?

catallus

A bad portrayal of wives?! That's what you got from it?! What about poor NPH?! Jesus, ok, he was a creep, but he didn't deserve that!!!!:pac:

It was a great scene though

Memnoch

My point exactly :

Amy, Pike's character was portrayed as manipulative, conniving and a total bitch. Who tried to remake her husband into what she wanted him to be and when he resisted and pulled away and was about to leave her for a younger woman, frames him for her murder. She then manipulates and murders NPH's character. I'd say this is not a very flattering portrayal of the modern upper/middle class American wife.

The Black Oil

Here's a handy breakdown of Fincher's style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPAloq5MCUA

Sad Professor

Re: the supposed misogyny:

I think some viewers may be too forgiving of Affleck’s character. I’d imagine women are more sensitive to his transgressions, especially the way he passes himself off as the perfect guy while secretly harbouring a hateful rage against his wife. Amy might have been a sociopath but I saw nothing to suggest Affleck deserved anything better. He was far from the dopey, good guy husband he let on to be. He was a lying, cheating, money-grabbing douchebag and was just as narcissistic as she was.

As far as Amy’s portrayal is concerned, I fail to see how a very specific character can be read as a sweeping indictment of an entire gender. Flynn said she wrote the book a response to the common “cool girl” image of women in popular culture. Amy is her exploration of the feminine dark side, but it’s not like she’s the only woman in the film.

razorblunt

Essien wrote: »

Yeah I got that too, it was pretty annoying.

Noticed that too, the missus asked if the sync was out. I actually thought it may have been a way to indicate all is not what it seems with the flashbacks. If that was unintentional then it's poor editing.

I liked the film, didn't read the book. Affleck was great though, bulked up batman prep aside, the actress who played Margot the sister was just brilliant though. Some big loopholes in the story though.

titan18

Thought it was only ok. Nothing compared to some of Fincher's earlier films.

Probably the only time Pike's lifeless and cold acting has been an asset to her aswell. Shame she didn't get what she deserved really at the end, can't blame Affleck's character for hating her and wanting to get out. Being married to that psycho would be a nightmare

FlyingIrishMan

Sad Professor wrote: »

Re: the supposed misogyny:

I think some viewers may be too forgiving of Affleck’s character. I’d imagine women are more sensitive to his transgressions, especially the way he passes himself off as the perfect guy while secretly harbouring a hateful rage against his wife. Amy might have been a sociopath but I saw nothing to suggest Affleck deserved anything better. He was far from the dopey, good guy husband he let on to be. He was a lying, cheating, money-grabbing douchebag and was just as narcissistic as she was.

As far as Amy’s portrayal is concerned, I fail to see how a very specific character can be read as a sweeping indictment of an entire gender. Flynn said she wrote the book a response to the common “cool girl” image of women in popular culture. Amy is her exploration of the feminine dark side, but it’s not like she’s the only woman in the film.

Affeck's character might have been all the things you listed above, but I think you're too forgiving of Amy. Nick doesn't deserve to be put on death row for all the things he has done, he doesn't deserve jail at all. Yet she decided he did, and put it into her own hands to put him there and she almost got away with it. Not to mention the fact that she actually killed an innocent man. Definitely not on the same level as Nick.

Gonna go see it again next weekend, I think I'll rank it above Se7en, but below Zodiac for me. Zodiac is still my favorite of his.

shalalala

FlyingIrishMan wrote: »

Affeck's character might have been all the things you listed above, but I think you're too forgiving of Amy. Nick doesn't deserve to be put on death row for all the things he has done, he doesn't deserve jail at all. Yet she decided he did, and put it into her own hands to put him there and she almost got away with it. Not to mention the fact that she actually killed an innocent man. Definitely not on the same level as Nick.

Gonna go see it again next weekend, I think I'll rank it above Se7en, but below Zodiac for me. Zodiac is still my favorite of his.

Also I think we are forgetting that

the flashbacks were all from her "diary" Can we really rely on that to know what he was really like? Yes he cheated, but what about the rest?

FlyingIrishMan

shalalala wrote: »

Also I think we are forgetting that

the flashbacks were all from her "diary" Can we really rely on that to know what he was really like? Yes he cheated, but what about the rest?

Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear that most of her diary was fake. She wrote it just for the purpose of making him look bad.

secman

Went to see it last last night, found myself checking my watch about 3 times. The film lasts approx 2.5 hours but it would be a better watch if it was cut by about 45 min to an hour . Give it 6 out of 10.

Saipanne

Oh Emily.....

Agent Coulson

Agent Coulson wrote: »

I have never read the book and this is the first trailer I have seen for the movie.

For some reason I think I already know the ending and outcome of the movie I'm not sure if the trailer gives away to much or the story just seems very weak and obvious.

That alone kind of puts me off this.

My guess was right kind of and totally wrong about the high lighted part.

That she was trying to frame him was my guess... But I didn't guess she was a complete nut job or where the story would go with it.

That didn't take away from the film. I enjoyed it but I don't see it up there with Fincher's best.

Also I was surprised how good Rosamund Pike was.

Cake Man

Saw this yesterday and enjoyed it. It does go on for a bit but I suppose they had to capture everything from the book. I actually read the book at the start of the year, long before I even knew they were going to make a film out of it and I have to say the adaption is good.

Not sure why some people are saying there’s a difference between the book and film, if I can recall correctly I don’t think there really are any? Open to correction on that as it’s been about 7 or 8 months since I read it. A few small ones maybe like

Tanner Bolt and that talkshow hostess Sharon Scheiber being married, don’t think
that was mentioned in the film (not anything significant anyway!). In the book aswell, Nick’s dad wanders out of the old folks home more often.

The ending is a bit strange in that

you don’t know whether she genuinely wants to get her life back on track with
Nick (and also soaking up all the public love and attention from playing the victim) or whether she just wants to continuing to fcuk up Nick’s life having him stuck with her knowing there’s nothing he can do. Maybe a bit of both.

Basq

Basq wrote: »

Birneybau wrote: »

Starring the pretty (vacant) Rosmund Pike..

..but who keeps giving her work? She's awful!

OK, I'm gonna take this back. She started the film being blander-than-bland and put in a truly excellent performance IMO.

Loved it.. even thought Affleck was quite good. I did also think Carrie Coon, who I've only ever seen in HBO's excellent "The Leftovers", was brilliant as Margot.

Did however think the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross wasn't as memorable as some of their others for Fincher's movies.

Fincher really just can do no wrong these days..

FourFourRED

Loved the first 2 hours of it but the ending left me feeling a bit annoyed. I didn't like how it panned out in the end but can't quite put my finger on why I feel that way. Hadn't read the book at all so it was a great storyline for the most part and did keep you guessing but as I've said, the way it ended up in the last part of the film brought it from a 9 to a 7 for me. (Of course as its from a book, there isn't much room to change an ending).

Warper

Didnt really know what this was about before seeing it. It starts off well for the first hour, then transcends into utter farce. It is completely unbelievable but still watchable. The archetypal average film imo.

GBXI

Warper wrote: »

Didnt really know what this was about before seeing it. It starts off well for the first hour, then transcends into utter farce. It is completely unbelievable but still watchable. The archetypal average film imo.

Just out of interest, if you feel this is an average film, what are your examples of above average films?

homerun_homer

I saw it last night and really liked it but the later part doesn't entirely sit well with me. Mainly because after the the realities of the first half, it gets a bit OTT later on.

Now I know there are a fair share of psychos out there and the idea of someone faking their own death in this way as pay back isn't beyond the realm of reaity, but on the police/FBI side I thought "this made up plot of hers is riddled". Surely she would be found out and be sectioned.

The other part that didn't land for me was her intentions with getting back with him. She was now penniless, trapped and not in the situation she had planned all along. Nick's fake plea on TV seemed to win her over but it also seemed to be the lesser of two evils; return home vs be the prisoner. Did she really expect Nick to be that guy she married, even by being fake, or did she just want to make his life miserable by having him feel obligated to stay with her?

Rory28

This book has being laying around my house for a good few months now. Must give it a read seeing as I have being putting it off for a too long now.

Warper

GBXI wrote: »

Just out of interest, if you feel this is an average film, what are your examples of above average films?

Don't be childish