Director: David Fincher
Writers: Gillian Flynn (novel and screenplay)
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens
This famous quote, “Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman”, describes the movie perfectly for me. What starts off as a relatively slow story, with Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) wondering “What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other?”, soon turns into an exciting tale of suspense, drama, and revenge.
Nick’s wife, Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), has disappeared under mysterious circumstances from their home. What is left behind is a trail of clues, part of their anniversary tradition, that can be used to track down Amy’s movements just before she disappeared.
The prime suspect is Nick, suspected of murdering his wife and having disposed of the body. The viewer is made to think that this is a definite possibility, especially with the entire universe of the film vouching for ‘Amazing Amy’, as she was immortalised in children’s books by her mother.
While Nick is deemed as a smiling sociopath, his wife’s voice reads out from her diary. The narratorial fairy-tale-like voice is initially believable but as the film progresses, the viewer starts thinking if the narrator is indeed reliable.
More details are unveiled – about Nick’s present and Amy’s past – that makes him believe that his wife is a sadistic psychopath who is taking revenge on him by framing him for her murder because of his infidelity.
Amy’s truth
Amy’s true nature is revealed only when she is shown in the present, trying to hide from the public eye. She seeks help from an old lover. The treatment she metes out to him proves that her husband’s suspicion about her was probably right.
All the supporting characters do a good job of helping the plot move along. All of them perform their roles well, often not revealing their true selves. They project a certain persona for the public and for each other.
Rosamund Pike’s rendition of Amy, the hollowness and aloofness she displays, ensures that Amy is ‘gone’ even when she is right in front of us. She exists in a state of absentia, becoming a reflection of others until she decides to take matters into her own hands. Some of the wonderful lines have been given to her, my favourite being, “We’re so cute, I want to punch us in the face.”
The cinematographer and the director have done a great job. The questions that were asked in the beginning are repeated at the end, but the film and its characters evade answering them.
The movie is a definite must-watch for those who want to see a different genre of film, a combination of drama, suspense, thriller, murder, and even a certain sense of horror.
