We know the story, and for those who don't, it's very easy to catch up. Amy and Nick Dunne are a happily married couple who meet by chance and fall in love quickly. They share a large house. They seem perfect, that is until the marriage begins to slip. Amy begins fearing for her life. She is suspect. Nick is untrustworthy. She goes missing on the morning of their 5th wedding anniversary... All signs point to the husband.
We may or may not see what happens next. Having read the book, I was still floored by the apparent 'twist' of the film. When I read the novel last year, I found myself unimpressed by the over-the-top plot points and absurd turn of events. When I heard of Fincher's attempt to adapt the story with the original author serving as screenwriter, I was skeptical. How do you improve upon a flawed story? How can it overcome its own basic design flaws?
Flash forward to a darkened movie theater, myself seated near the front, the image fades to a silent conclusion... I was floored. If you need proof that adapting a story for a film is an art, look no further. What Gillian Flynn (the author & soon-to-be Oscar-nominated screenwriter) manages to do is so remarkable. In the year's finest screenplay to date, we see the redesign of a story and a realization of the scope of filmmaking in a way the written word cannot. It's a pure adaptation, full of wit and wonder, and surely one that elevates its source material.
As I have mentioned earlier, this is a film that recalls the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock. Surely, with Rosamund Pike's sultry blonde looks and the chilling power she has over the film, it's not hard to blend the lines. Surely Hitchcock would be proud, and dare I suspect overcome with suspense.
To make this story work and work convincingly, the lead role of Amy Dunn was crucial. Little-known but experienced actress Rosamund Pike delivers the performance of the year. She is calculated, powerful, and crucial to the overall success and impact. In casting lesser-known actors (remember Rooney Mara's breakthrough in 'Dragon Tattoo?'), Fincher understands how to personify unique characters in ways a famous actor like Ben Affleck could never achieve (though he still achieves great work). In what is bound to be a first Oscar nomination, Pike could surely go all the way to a triumphant victory.
The supporting cast is profound, not a weak link to be found, although almost all are stellar. Take Tyler Perry (we laugh at the sight of his name in the credits). His casting as a crackpot criminal lawyer is so perfectly realized, and he has many of the best lines in the film. Kim Dickens is also amazingly effective as the lead detective who carries a sense of purity throughout the film. It's a simple but important role. Neil Patrick Harris, too, delivers chilling work.
In many ways, this is a funnier film than David Fincher has helmed before. In others, its the scariest, and I still vividly recall several scenes that left speechless from the expert craftsmanship and filmmaking on display. Even knowing how the plot would play out, the suspense was thick and the adrenaline left me nearly on the edge of my seat throughout the last third of the film. The editing is just about perfect, surgically-precise and effortlessly unsettling... It's no wonder the editing duo already have two Oscars (for both of Fincher's previous 2 films). The score explores minimalism and electronic sound to chilling effect (again, the Oscar-winning duo responsible for the 'Social Network'). One scene I'm sure many audience members will remember vividly (let's just call it 'the box-cutter scene') is all the more powerful for it's use of sound, score, and editing. It's absolutely the most horrific scene I can recall in a movie and one of Fincher's finer directorial achievements. From the build-up to the realization on film, there is not a false note to be found.
I recommend this movie wholeheartedly, and I anticipate my next viewing. The crew David Fincher has found to helm his current projects have truly outdone themselves yet again, and I am convinced that there are no greater films being made as consistently good as those by David Fincher.
(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Pike), Best Supporting Actress (Dickens), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Makeup, Best Sound Mixing)
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