“Wow, that was fucked up.”
Those were the exact words that crossed my lips as Gone Girl ended. I was referring to the final scene, but it can be applied to the entire movie. Gone Girl is riveting, and very entertaining, but it is very, very fucked up.
The movie is expertly plotted with the level of detail usually found in heist movies. Rosamund Pike is legitimately creepy in a distanced, sociopathic kind of way. Think Norman from Bates Motel in the body of a gorgeous 5’ 8 ½” blonde woman. She’s plays the role almost too creepy in the beginning of the movie. You definitely get bad vibes from her from the moment that Amy and Nick meet. At first I thought that Rosamund was simply overcompensating with playing an American accent in the role, but looking back on it, no, it was straight up Amy Dunne creep factor.
Nick Dunne is the perfect Ben Affleck role. Whatever the word is for what it is that Ben Affleck haters don’t like about Ben Affleck, he brings exactly that to this role and it works so well. That slightly douchey feeling that some people get from Ben Affleck? It’s here, and it works perfectly. Because Nick Dunne is the worst husband of a missing wife ever. He smiles during press conferences. He continues his affair with a student. Nick would be his own worst enemy if it wasn’t for Amy taking the top spot.
Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris are both in the movie in small supporting roles, and both are great. Never enjoyed Tyler Perry in a role before? You will here. And as for Neil’s Desi? There’s a lesson to be learned here gents. Stay away from your now-married childhood crush, especially when she complains about her husband. You never know if she’s a psycho-killer that will both bash your head in and besmirch your good name.
On a metatextual level, I wonder what effect, if any, Gone Girl will have on society. Will this movie (and the book that inspired it) cause people to doubt rape victims? I can see it happening. It would be a terrible thing if a rapist ever walked free because of the seed of doubt planted in members of a jury by a movie.
That worry leads to another big question, should Gone Girl be blamed for what people take away from it? I’ve never been one to put blame for crime at the feet of art, whether its movies, music, comic books or video games. I always felt that blaming crime on the Grand Theft Auto video games was a cop out. But if a rapist ever did go free because Gone Girl stopped members of a jury from being able to believe a rape victim? That would be even more fucked up than Gone Girl itself.
Gone Girl is a definitely see.