Its one of the most anticipated movies of the year. 'Gone Girl' Adapted from The best selling novel by Gillian Flynn. Hit the big screen this week. Ben Afleck and Rosmund Pike took the leads. Afleck is the Hollywood golden boy of the moment. An Oscar winner with Argo and soon to be the next Batman.
Where as Pike is a newcomer to the heady heights of leading lady status previously best known as a Bond Girl, this is new territory for her, but after this performance it's a role she should experiencing more often in the near future.
Director David Fincher takes on the job of transferring this much read and hotly anticipated dark drama from page to screen.
If it ain't broke don't try and fix it. And that appears to be Finchers approach to this film. No twists no turns no re inventions. As a novel it works perfectly well, and as movie it does the same.
Casting Afleck one of tinsel towns hotest talents and big box office appeal. allowed Fincher to take a gamble on the relatively unknown Pike. And it's paid off. As a character she grows throughout the movie.
Flynn certainly deserves her title as queen of 'chick noire' This is a story aimed at a female audience. And if book sales are anything to go by they're going love this movie. And what's not to love. The character Nick is a metaphor for every could care less, selfish, do nothing husband, and Amy is the woman who secretly the books fans all want to be. She is a liberated woman playing along to the male fantasy whilst secretly plotting his destruction.
Pike plays her role to perfection - dutiful and beautiful. Afleck plays afleck to perfection. Never needing to break out of his acting comfort zoneI. He gets it. He recognises he's not expected to be the hero or carry the film that honour falls to Rosamund Pike. And to some extent the other women in he film. The strong feminist theme, exposes the men as weak and always a step behind the strong female characters.
As Amy the not so loving wife her devious plan is deliciously revealed layer by layer.. This a beauty with a beastly plan. Pike was previously best known for starring opposite Pierce Bossnan In Die Anorher Day, but here she gives a stand out performance, that fully desteves the plaudits.
After a slow sombre start the film picks up pace once Amy finds her voice. Obviously the film can't go into the finer details of why Amy turned into a bad bad girl. Maybe the author is saving that story for another day.
Perhaps seeing husband Nick in the loving embrace of model turned actress Emily Ratajakowski certainly didn't help. Emily more widely known for her role in the Robin thicke Pharrell Williams video for Blurred Lines, certainly does her acting credentials no harm with this brief but entertaining cameo.
In the end, this is a girls on top film. It's from a writing genre aimed at showing women in control. Despite Amy's crimes in the end you want her to win. Just because her husband is such a wuss.
It's a film that has a slightly unsatisfactory ending but it does enough to leave you wanting more.
Gone Girl 2 anyone?
No comments:
Post a Comment