Delectably Depraved
My good friend shared with me that this movie was quite possibly going to be fairly graphic. He told me in honesty because he knows that I am rather sensitive to blood, violence, or anything that just isn't right. So, for the first time, I decided to review the "Parental Guide" that IMDb posted along with its page for Gone Girl. Were there spoilers? Yes, but it was worth checking out. I was able to perfectly anticipate the most gruesome scenes, and still walked out of the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood with a true appreciation for this great film.
I have developed a tremendous level of respect for Ben Affleck since the success of Argo (so much so that I am willing to let Runner Runner slide) and that respect continued to flourish with this movie. While his recent political musings irk me, as an actor there is no denying that he has really come into his own. It also helps to have new, talented, fresh face on the scene in Rosamund Pike. While Affleck was great, Pike was the greatest. I could not believe how gracefully she was able to display the interior regressions of a complete psychopath. A polite and deserved nod goes to Neil Patrick Harris and Carrie Coon for helping stitch the pieces together nice and tight, but the story here is Ben and Rosamund. (Benamund? Bosamund? C'mon, I had to try.)
You know a book-to-movie is going to be of a high quality when it feels as though the original novel was written for actors that have such chemistry as Affleck and Pike do. I do not know if writer Gillian Flynn had anything to do with the selection process, but there really is no better pick in my mind that I can think of. I'd be willing to bet that David Fincher's directorial role in this one was minimal, because the book writes the movie very well. (Or, so those who have read the novel tell me.) The pieces of this movie simply fall into place, and it is really hard to imagine what could have been improved. And before I forget, big shoutout to Trent Reznor for simply killing the soundtrack of this one (no pun intended).
I, for one, simply could not handle the violence. I think that it was an integral part of the plot development, but it was just too much for me. There could have been more taste, but the suspense was spot on. There were also several ambiguities that left me asking questions at the end of the film. Thankfully, my aforementioned friend was able to fill me in, for the book seems to do a much better job of tying up loose ends than the film.
For my money, the best movie of the year so far. Finally, we are starting to encounter some quality filmmaking!
Written October 8, 2014
I have developed a tremendous level of respect for Ben Affleck since the success of Argo (so much so that I am willing to let Runner Runner slide) and that respect continued to flourish with this movie. While his recent political musings irk me, as an actor there is no denying that he has really come into his own. It also helps to have new, talented, fresh face on the scene in Rosamund Pike. While Affleck was great, Pike was the greatest. I could not believe how gracefully she was able to display the interior regressions of a complete psychopath. A polite and deserved nod goes to Neil Patrick Harris and Carrie Coon for helping stitch the pieces together nice and tight, but the story here is Ben and Rosamund. (Benamund? Bosamund? C'mon, I had to try.)
You know a book-to-movie is going to be of a high quality when it feels as though the original novel was written for actors that have such chemistry as Affleck and Pike do. I do not know if writer Gillian Flynn had anything to do with the selection process, but there really is no better pick in my mind that I can think of. I'd be willing to bet that David Fincher's directorial role in this one was minimal, because the book writes the movie very well. (Or, so those who have read the novel tell me.) The pieces of this movie simply fall into place, and it is really hard to imagine what could have been improved. And before I forget, big shoutout to Trent Reznor for simply killing the soundtrack of this one (no pun intended).
I, for one, simply could not handle the violence. I think that it was an integral part of the plot development, but it was just too much for me. There could have been more taste, but the suspense was spot on. There were also several ambiguities that left me asking questions at the end of the film. Thankfully, my aforementioned friend was able to fill me in, for the book seems to do a much better job of tying up loose ends than the film.
For my money, the best movie of the year so far. Finally, we are starting to encounter some quality filmmaking!
Written October 8, 2014