See it at the Movies

GONE GIRL

Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 10/9/14

* * * *

(Psychological Thriller)

There are two types of people who will like this psychological thriller: Those who have read Gillian Flynn’s best selling novel … and those who have …

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See it at the Movies

GONE GIRL

Posted

* * * *

(Psychological Thriller)

There are two types of people who will like this psychological thriller: Those who have read Gillian Flynn’s best selling novel … and those who have not.

If you have not read the book, you will be thrilled and surprised by the many twists and turns that will keep you glued to the big screen for two and a half hours.

If you have read the book, you will have fun comparing the characters to those you imagined while scanning the pages of the text.

A common reaction among viewers, including the woman behind us, will be the usual “the book is better than the movie.” Flynn had the technique of getting inside the characters’ minds and sharing their thoughts with the reader. She also wrote the script for the movie and had to translate those thoughts to the viewer.

Whether you read the book or not, you have just got to see the best movie so far this year, one which is finally filling the Showcase seats after a miserable summer.

We’re not even going to tell you much about the plot. If you read the book, we don’t have to. If you haven’t, you will want to be as surprised and fooled as we were.

Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a writer who has lost his job in New York City and moves back to his hometown of North Carthage, Mo., with his wife, Amy (Rosamond Pike).

They both have trouble adjusting to the slower Midwest lifestyle, which places a strain on their marriage.

Nick invests in a bar, going there one morning where his sister (Carrie Coon) bartends. He returns home to find his wife missing.

As their relationship slowly unfolds through flashbacks and police investigation, Nick becomes a prime suspect.

We really don’t want to tell you more than that. As the story unfolds, public attitudes toward Nick waver, the press presents biased news coverage, and we sit in our seats wondering what is going to happen next.

Clever writing and superior acting keep us guessing as the plot thickens.

Good supporting roles by Tyler Perry as Nick’s attorney, Carrie Coon as Nick’s supportive twin sister, Kim Dickens as the detective, and an out-of-character role by a famous TV actor add to the suspense.

Affleck gives another superior performance, and Pike will surely be nominated for an Academy Award for her stunning role as the “Gone Girl.”

Don’t be turned off by the length (2 hours 29 minutes). We could have sat there for another hour. In fact, we’d love to see a sequel. I must say that Joyce bought into the ending completely, while I was looking for something quite different.

Except for the blatant product placements, including Rhode Island’s own Dunkin’ Donuts and CVS, the movie was as close to perfection as you could ask for.

Rated R for sex, nudity, profanity and one particularly bloody scene.

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