James Bentley at 2014-10-08 14:40:08:
I love cinema, but I was thoroughly underwhelmed by this film. I thought the pacing was unnecessarily slow, dragged out even, lingering on irrelevant details. The cat for example, why bother to feature the cat at all in this film, it served absolutely no purpose.
Similarly, I was disappointed to see that the film momentarily sank in tone by featuring a topless scene with the buxom brunette of blurred lines fame. Was that really necessary, really? To me, for those minutes the film abandoned all sense of artistry to get a hot girl naked.
But these are minor points compared to the fundament flaws in pacing, story and characters.
As I mentioned above, for me, this film was far too long. I would have enjoyed it far more if it had ended at the midpoint plot turn. Though it would not have been entirely fulfilling I would have thought, ok cool, I half predicted that, nice to see how the clues were laced early on and subsequently realised for the reveal. Sadly the film continued long after the midpoint and what came in the remaining slog felt contrived and unconvincing.
From my perspective, this was because the all of the characters felt fundamentally contrived and unconvincing.
For example, throughout the first 15 minutes I sat in the theatre chewing my cheek thinking, if I was in Ben Affleck's characters shoes I would have a far greater sense of urgency about me. Instead he dawdled around acting as though he couldn't remember where he left his fourth favourite pair of reading glasses. Sure you might say look at what is revealed as the story advances. Sorry, no, regardless of whatever preceded between the characters, 9/10 people in that situation would be tearing their hair out, for concern out of what may have happened to the 'gone girl', or wanting to make sure they themselves didn't become prime suspect.
I normally love Fincher's work. His films weave dark subversive emotions within complex tapestries of conflicting desires, that strain and rip at the seams in unforeseen, yet convincing ways, at the worst possible times. The opening scene of The Social Network, the conversation in the student union bar, is incredible. The first lines of dialogue lay the foundations of all the films characters and themes with rapid fire rounds that you only realise were embedded in your brain as the closing credits rise. Much of this wonder is of course due to Sorkin's screenwriting sorcery.
In the case if Gone Girl, I felt no intrigue surrounding the characters actions or personalities. They were either so abnormal (e.g. plodding Affleck) that they were frustrating, or they were so predictable they were boring. With regards to the latter point we need look no further than two dimensional Mummy and Daddy of Gone Girl. A more detailed example? Ok sure, the weirdo ex boyfriend. The moment he appears onscreen you think 'he looks and acts weird, I bet he is going to do something weird', lo and behold he does exactly that. And then when he is in the middle of acting all weird, you think to yourself 'jeez I wonder how the person being subjected to the weirdness is going to escape, well I guess there is only one way...', lo and behold...
This is completely cool for your mainstream blockbusters and popcorn flicks. But if you are talking Fincher, I want to be blindsided big time, and to feel emotions I can't find words to explain.
Summing up my rant, I have not read the Gone Girl novel, so cannot comment on how true an adaptation it was. But as a movie, for me, there are two big problems:
1. Slow pacing - sits with Fincher, and forgivable.
2. The characters - comes back to the script/ novel, not so forgivable.
At best Gone Gets gets 3 out of 5 and pales in comparison to TGWTDT and The Social Network (the twenty-first century Citizen Kane).
But go see it :)