“Gone Girl” made a bold move from page to screen
It’s hard to think of many movies of the past decade that have had more expectations to work against than “Gone Girl.”
At the time of its publication, former entertainment journalist Gillian Flynn’s best seller was read by just about anybody who wanted to stay current with pop culture ... and once you know its twists and turns, telling the story in another medium and still keeping it surprising and thrilling is one enormous task.
Leave it to David Fincher to prove himself the man for the job. The “Social Network” and “Fight Club” director made a 2014 movie of the book that’s almost completely compelling, the problem being a home stretch in which the picture (adapted by Flynn herself) breaks some of its own rules.
By and large, though, “Gone Girl” – which Cinemax shows Monday, Oct. 16, and Friday, Oct. 20 – does its genre proud. Casting rarely gets more ideal than Ben Affleck as relatively callow bar owner Nick, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) vanishes on their fifth wedding anniversary. A struggle appears to have taken place, and not surprisingly, Nick soon becomes a suspect in the disappearance.
What happened is recounted in a flashback-heavy nature, fueled largely by Amy’s diaries, painting both herself and Nick in ways expected and not. The resulting scenes play to the strengths of Affleck’s persona, and even if his largest praise has come from his directing lately, “Gone Girl” is a reminder of just how good an actor he can be with the right material.
It’s also a revelation where Pike is concerned. Having long offered reliable support to male stars, dating back to the James Bond caper “Die Another Day,” the British actress truly came into her own as the presumed victim who has been labeled by her parents (David Clennon and the late Lisa Banes) as “Amazing Amy.”
Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry and Sela Ward are among other “name” performers in the film, but especially notable is Carrie Coon as Nick’s twin sister and business partner. Also known from HBO’S “The Leftovers,” her work here is of the sort that still may have many viewers paying major attention and asking, “Who is that?”
“Gone Girl” makes for a fairly lengthy sit at just under 2-1/2 hours, but even with that somewhat problematic final act, it’s quite possible that you won’t want to be gone from your seat for a moment as it unfolds.