Thursday, 9 October 2014

Gone Girl

The Book


Nick comes home on his 5th wedding anniversary to find a crime scene in their house with all the clues pointing to the murder of his wife, Amy; except there is no body. As the police investigation gets under way, the prime suspect becomes Nick, with all the evidence stacked against him. As Nick is telling the first half of the story, the reader wonders whether he is being entirely honest, as it is revealed that he was having an affair. 
In essence it is a one trick pony - a big twist that comes not at the end but right in the middle with a change of narrator. This is what drives the narrative on to the end, as a few people I have passed this book on to found it a bit dull until I tell them to just keep going until the middle.
It is difficult to say much more without revealing the twist, but I did find the ending very unsatisfactory. You do not sympathise with or like any of the characters, however, so perhaps the self imposed purgatory that the book finishes on is a fitting finale. It just seems very implausible after all that has gone before.



Official movie site



The Movie

David Fincher is the perfect director for this film after his excellent "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". It's a long running time but it never fails to keep you glued to the screen. If you know the plot already, you are able to ponder the bigger messages  put forward about trial by media and how easily biased reporting can sway people's judgement. The film itself plays with this, through showing Amy's version of her marriage to Nick in flashbacks alongside the current investigation into her disappearance.
Rosamund Pike puts in a career changing performance as Amy. Her previous roles have built up an image of a quiet, charming and beautiful woman and this is used to fantastic effect, playing with audience preconceptions.
I had read that the ending was different from the book. The situation doesn't change, but it is made more plausible with an added bit of leverage that means Ben Affleck's character becomes almost heroic and certainly more sympathetic than in the book.





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