Gone Girl

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by FieldingMellish, Sep 28, 2014.

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  1. FieldingMellish

    FieldingMellish Active Member Thread Starter

    Ok so who' seen the new David Fincher film, 'Gone Girl'? Or who's planning to see it? And who has read the book? What did you think?

    I just finished the book. It was a page turner that ultimately left me wishing I'd never turned page one. I don't rate Fincher much either, yet I think he might be able to make something out of this story.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I've wondered whether I would enjoy that novel. What is it about?
     
  3. TeacFan

    TeacFan Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Arcadia, Ca.
    Unless someone here was at the showing in NY this weekend, we will have to wait. It opens here in LA on Friday. The LA Times gave it a rave in an unusual advanced review in Saturdays rag.
     
  4. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Couple moves to a small town after downsizing. After a few weeks, wife abruptly disappears, leaving the husband frantic to solve her disappearance. After appearing on local news, talking to authorities, etc. the cops discover the wife's diary, which appears to show that the couple's marriage was not as wonderful as the husband says it was. The husband comes under suspicion. But is he guilty, or is he being framed for a reason?

    That's pretty much the synopsis. It's fair to say there's a lot of twists and turns, and what we would call "unreliable narrators" in the book. Reviewers have said that although Fincher claimed he would change the movie's plotline from the book, apparently they are pretty much the same.
     
    mikeyt likes this.
  5. townsend

    townsend Senior Member

    Location:
    Ridgway, CO
    Sounds exactly like the stories featured on some episodes of CBS's 48 Hours or NBC's Dateline.
     
  6. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Yep... although there are some typical Fincher twists and surprises. The movie's gotten good reviews so far.
     
  7. FieldingMellish

    FieldingMellish Active Member Thread Starter

    Yes, a fair summary. Except that the husband comes under suspicion pretty much right from the start; when the diary is found, it merely compounds that suspicion significantly.

    Both author and film-maker seem to think that the book has deep and meaningful things to day about some big themes, notably the nature of (modern) relationships, and whether we can ever be sure we know anybody. Personally I found teh quality of the novel fell way, way below that required to support such claims. It's just a bog standard thriller, not very well written, not very plausibly plotted.

    Nevertheless, the combination of Fincher and source material might, possibly, make for a reasonable film. We shall see.
     
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  8. rockclassics

    rockclassics Senior Member

    Location:
    Mainline Florida
    You guys got me curious now. Not sure I will see the movie but will probably track down the book.
     
  9. jpelg

    jpelg Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Elm City
    Except...Ben Affleck :shake:
     
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  10. FieldingMellish

    FieldingMellish Active Member Thread Starter

    I understand that impulse - a week ago, I myself succumbed to it :) - but honestly I urge you: don't bother. If anything good can come of 'Gone Girl', it'll be the film, which may be worthwhile; the book certainly is not.
     
  11. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    I'm sure my significant other will be dragging me to see it.
     
  12. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    Oh come on with that Ben Affleck slam, you haven't even seen the movie yet and you putting folks down.
    Talk about pack mentality, think for your self.:rolleyes:
     
    Mychkine likes this.
  13. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    I'm looking forward to seeing this movie
    TOMATOMETER
    85%
    Average Rating: 8.2/10
    Reviews Counted: 41
    Fresh: 35 | Rotten: 6

    Critics Consensus: Dark, intelligent, and stylish to a fault, Gone Girl plays to director David Fincher's sick strengths while bringing the best out of stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

    AUDIENCE SCORE
    98%
    want to see

    User Ratings: 22,649
     
  14. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Reviews I've read have been very positive, and single out Affleck for playing his role just right.
     
  15. bopdd

    bopdd Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I read the book recently. I thought it started out excellent and went downhill about 2/3 of the way in. I read another book by Gillian Flynn called Dark Places and liked it much less, especially the ending. I read both front to back, however, which still places them miles ahead of many, many other books I pick up these days.

    I thought both books featured some catchy writing, decent characterization, and strong pacing but by the end I couldn't help feeling the writing was almost too catchy and fluid, as if the author took one too many writing classes in order to achieve her style. Dark Places, in particular, was a little stock and it couldn't help but seem a little too PG-13 no matter how hard it tried to be edgy and dark. Still, she's an accomplished, talented writer, and this should make for an entertaining movie.
     
  16. mikeyt

    mikeyt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I've seen it. I thought it was very good. A bit dark, typical Fincher, but it moves at a great pace and keeps you involved and not knowing what's next (I haven't read the book). And the ending left me a little uneasy. I don't think it'll sweep awards season, but it's definitely a very solid thriller / drama.
     
    lbangs likes this.
  17. P(orF)

    P(orF) Forum Resident

    Her other book, Sharp Objects, is really good, if you don't mind a protagonist you'd never want to encounter...which seems to be her speciality. She's just getting started, though, and escape fiction doesn't get too much better. Unless you're reading Tana French or Kate Atkinson, both of whom are better writers than Flynn.

    Kate Atkinson is really special. She takes Harlan Coben's jigsaw plots and populates them with real people in unusual circumstances. She gets lumped, unfairly, with other suspense novelists, but she was a thesis short of a doctorate in postmodern American literature and no one is writing better novels right now. Case Histories is the one to start with. It's funny and sad and intricate and it will stick with you for a long time.
     
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  18. bopdd

    bopdd Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I'm on it. Thanks for the rec!

    I don't have an issue with Flynn's protagonists--it's her endings that bother me. Dark Places in particular had an ending that more or less turned me off to her as a writer. I'll get around to reading Sharp Objects because I still find Flynn to be a compulsively readable author, but I'm hoping it won't veer off course the way the other books did (in my opinion).
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2014
  19. harmonica98

    harmonica98 Senior Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    I will see anything that Fincher puts out - released here next week I think. I don't intend to read anything about it in advance, though I have seen the trailer.
     
  20. Alan2

    Alan2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Planning to go and see this on Thursday with a friend. I'll report back.
     
  21. Chip Z

    Chip Z Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    I've read the book and agree with the generally negative reviews above. BUT, my wife wants to see the movie so we will be going this Friday. I thought I heard that the ending was different. Hoping that's true.
     
  22. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
  23. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Come on, he's a fine actor and an even better director.
     
    mikeyt likes this.
  24. Havent' seen it yet. Read the book. Excellent read. Looking forward to the movie.
     
  25. cwsiggy

    cwsiggy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vero Beach, FL
    Soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
     
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