BEHINDWOODS COLUMN

Lot of movies might still resemble the just to be released Gone girl by David Fincher, but still, everything about a gripping thriller is always fascinating. Had a tiff with your wife early in the morning? Got irritated with the boss ? Traffic en route cinema hall was horrible ? A very convincing thriller can still save your day. ´´Marriages are made in hell too´´ is what, Ben Affleck starrer Gone girl is all about that statement. When something or somebody is missing, the process involved in finding the missing ascertains more importance than what actually went missing. So investigation thrillers are meant to involve us even if there were constant text messages or a very tasty pop corn tub disturbing you.

 

A genuine review of a Hollywood movie talks only of the way the core concept was dealt and not the department wise specificities. Be it the back ground score or the editing or the sound design or the production design or the cinematography, it is only the casting, story and screenplay that comes under a scanning for straight Hollywood movies when the rest are just perfect. Fight Club and The girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame David Fincher is a meticulous taskmaster who pays out of the world attention to every little aspect of a movie being crafted than just made. Fincher is also a frontrunner among directors if literary adaptations are to be made into movies. He very efficiently deals the thin line between what portions from the book can ideally be made into equally pleasing scenes not straying from the imagination the reader got from the same story through a book. 

 

Ben Affleck´s very urbane performance is a clear winner throughout. Before the whole world could take over his role of Batman, this one is a good choice he might not regret. Generally, lead characters might even be a protagonist with a negative shade or the antagonist with a positive shade, but Affleck´s role of an employed married to a wealthy prodigy is a vicious cycle of the good, the bad and also the ugly. The intriguing narration combined with stellar acts take us into this tale of a missing wife on the anniversary day. Gillian Flynn´s astute screenplay outplays our predicament with astonishingly witty and bodacious, creepy instances in the story.  Media´s outrage, lack of cohesiveness and understanding among married couples and the ever judgmental society are the fortes dealt here. But what gets the movie going is the climax of such stories being unveiled right in the middle itself and making the proceedings from then of the story even more gratifying. 

Thrillers are so annoyingly attention-grabbing because of the search for the fact, the hidden truth, or the missing part of the puzzle. We just want to know the end, but we have to go through the effortless removing of the knots. Who is the killer ? Why was she killed ? What is happening ? Such unanswerable questions just ponder over your thoughts till the end. The guessing game has to get tighter and tougher. Gone girl is that riveting tale of revenge. What does an extremely successful lady does to her husband who´s been cheating on her ? How does she score it even and also save her marriage ? Gone girl is one such story which might give you second thoughts about marrying a beautiful, self-informed girl/lady. Thrillers need to be smart. They have to be a brain teaser testing our patience. That´s when we come out of laid back positions and literally make the film an edge of the seat thriller. 

 

 

With the sensual witchy look, Rosamund Pike´s award winning performance is the sole savior of the movie. From the sweetheart to an introvert with suppressed feelings and to a sociopath, her transformation is mind blowing. The suave looks and priceless expressions from her no make-up face gravitates your love for her. She is bold, beautiful, wealthy and also a tidy killer. She´d faked her own death to trap the very dear husband she mistakenly fell in love with. She wants to bring him down to her feet and she actually does. 

 

Fincher´s mastery in non-linear narration along with a detailed script makes this thriller a complete winner.  With the investigations on one side, our doubting on what really happened and the way things fall in place, you´ll patronize such movies that prove you wrong in all terms. Having enjoyed films like Zodiac, Insomnia and Mystic River, this experience will take you along the same road but with lots more of fun. So, the trip the hero takes to find the mystery behind the missing wife and the way Mrs. Amazing Amy outsmarting the press and the cops is when the intelligence and diligence of the story fascinate you. 

 

Gone girl is a smarty thriller mocking at the press and marriage as an institution. It uses revenge to set right the life that has gone completely wrong. You stand corrected and also entertained. Gone girl will never go out of your mind.