P.S. – This is review of the movie but major spoilers are NOT given. Thus, if you haven’t seen the movie, this article will leave you intrigued enough to watch it at the same time, not giving away major plot twists.
“What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other?”
What happens after two people meet, fall in love and get married? What really goes on in the ‘happily ever after’? What do people actually do to each other? The movie starts off on a note of questions that automatically make you mull over the primal survival basics of a successful marriage.
Amy Elliot Dunne played by Rosamund Pike is famous among children as Amazing Amy. Her parents wrote children story books which were based on the protagonist Amy who was a character inspired by their daughter Amy. These books were “Amazing Amy” series. Amazing Amy was always a step ahead of real life Amy. She was everything Amy could not be as a child. Yet, Amy Elliot Dunne makes her way into Harvard and lands up with a well to do job. She is pretty, smart and intelligent. A prim and proper New York girl, or atleast that is how she portrays herself to be. Amy meets the young and charming Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck). They go out, have their mushy moments , fall in love and decide to get married.
But the marriage is bound to go to the dogs. The “perfect couple” take the road to a not so perfect ending. As years go by, Nick loses his job and under unavoidable circumstances, they shift to Missouri. Out of whatever money is left inspite of debts; Amy opens up a bar for Nick. Missouri is Nick’s hometown where his twin Margo lives. She helps him manage the bar, which isn’t exactly earning them much profits. Nick is also a part time creative writing teacher. Having turned into a lazy, under debt and not-so-cool husband he also turns infidel getting involved in an affair with a student. Amy comes to know about it. One fine day, Amy goes missing. Question is; Nick was a cool guy. Amy was a wonderful girl. They fell in love but the marriage didn’t work out. But did Nick Dunne have anything to do with his wife’s disappearance? Did he in fact, murder his wife?
These questions trigger our minds as the movie begins. After all, someone just lost his wife, how can they be so calm about it? Is Nick really as stupid and laid back as he comes off, or is there something he is hiding? Is Nick even the problem, one begins to wonder. On the other hand flashbacks from Nick, and Amy’s diary entries portray a married couple who are completely at peace with each other. Even after two years of marriage, their love is as fresh as ever and they still share similar likes and dislikes. But don’t people change for other people? Maybe they both did change or just become who they really were. Nobody is as raw as they try to come across. Like I said “try to come across”. Even rawness isn’t real. It’s a facade.
So comes the question, Is Amy really as sweet, simple, pitiable girl she portrays herself to be? Was Amy really in a troubled marriage? Or is she the real trouble herself? As you go on watching the movie, layers of Amy’s characters start coming off. She has a past too. A lover who’d go to any lengths for her inspite of being dejected by her and Amy’s own ways of always making things end perfectly fine. “Amazing Amy” was a girl who overcame obstacles inspiring children. Real Amy overcomes everything that comes in her way, and there are no moral grounds when it comes to getting your way around.
As the movie starts revealing, we start falling deeper into Amy and Nick’s life. It reveals layer by layer, both the characters. Sociopath, Psychopath, Terrifyingly clever and a complete control freak, that is how Amy Dunne comes across as the movie unfolds. A murder which is fascinatingly staged leaves one in awe and disgust at the same time. But it makes one extremely curious to know who stands innocent and who stands guilty?
The case is highlighted by media because it is none other than America’s sweetheart Amazing Amy who is missing. The husband tends to fall under shady circumstances and the Detective on the case believes little in the saying “The simplest answers are often the correct ones”. Can one of the most competent lawyers of America save Nick Dunne? Or is Amy so clever that she can dupe everyone?
Gone Girl is based on a book under the same title, written by Gillian Flynn. In 2014 it’s movie adaptation was released which was directed by David Fincher. Gillian Flynn herself has written the screenplay of the movie. Even though a writer is removed from a film’s adaptation following the first draft but Fincher was quite satisfied with Flynn’s work. Thus, the two continued to work together and Gillian Flynn ended up making her screenplay debut with Gone Girl, as well. The movie is exceptionally well written and has an incredible cast. Rosamund Pike was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe for Amy Dunne’s character in the movie. Gone Girl received a Golden Globe in the best director category and also won the Critic’s Choice Award.
The events fall into line grasping the audience’s attention right from the beginning till the end. The characters reveal their personalities and the curtains come off, leaving one shocked at the twists and turns in the plot. The lengths to which one goes for the sake of love! Gone Girl is one hell of an impact-full psychological thriller. It is a must watch for anyone interested in that genre. It
“What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other? What will we do?”
A story that starts off with questions making you curious. It ends with questions as well, making you wonder how twisted a mind can be. It leaves us conjecturing how people impact each other and change each other. Love can be beautiful and the most fulfilling thing in the world. But what do you do when beauty turns nasty and love fully fills you right to the neck, chocking the life out of you?
