Gone Girl.

The Terrence Malick 'To The Wonder' type poster.

I’ve always had problems with the American director David Fincher, having never really liking any of his movies other than perhaps Seven (1995) a film which starred Brad Pit and Morgan Freeman who played two detectives tracking down a serial killer who centres his dreadful crimes on the seven deadly sins. I could never get to grips with Fight Club (1999), which again starred Brad Pit but this time alongside Edward Norton, which I believe is now classed as a cult movie, but on release never did good box office and was panned by the critics. My next film from the director was Zodiac (2007) a very long film, with another good cast that included Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr based on a real life serial killer and a movie I should probably have another look at? Then there was another long-winded affair, 2008 fantasy drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that again starred Brad Pit and was about a man who ages in reverse where as his love interest, Cate Blanchett aged in the normal way! Then came two films that I particular disliked. The first was The Social Network (2010) that tells us about the privileges of having rich parents. Even worse was his next movie which in fact was a complete waste of time and money as the original version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) could not be bettered even with Hollywood showering oodles money on the project, don’t waste your time viewers watch the original.

 

Amazing Amy goes missing!

So the Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre Film Club screening of Fincher’s latest offering was viewed with some trepidation. But you will be pleased to hear that I wasn’t disappointed! Overly long, with the best part of the first hour spent trying to stay awake and retain your patience. With characters that grind on your nerves Gone Girl (2014) certainly was not the best film I’ve seen this year? Still I stuck with it and to be fair it did get a little better as time went on and on and on. 

 

Nasty Nick Dunne pleads for her safe return.

Described by a colleague as “a holiday read” which I took to mean lightweight and easily forgettable the movie is based on a best selling American thriller by the same person that provided the screenplay, Gillian Flynn. This rather unexciting movie has been described as a story about modern marriage (one can only hope that’s not true!) but it’s more to do with murder, betrayal and deception. Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) has been married to the ‘Amazing Amy’  (Rosamund Pike) for five years. On the very day of his fifth wedding anniversary she goes missing and the authorities, along with all the local residents, her family and all there so called friends; think that nasty Nick has done her in.

 

Has Nick really murdered his wife?

With not a spare seat in the house I’m sure that the mostly female audience enjoyed the film, but it was hard to confirm as none of our visitors returned for the discussion. It was Julie McMorran’s turn to be host but an impossible task unless she was prepared to give away the films twists and turns but she did say that it was well received critically and commercially and was thought of as a modern film noir – well it did have an competently acted femme fatal in the form of Rosemund Pike!  Don’t think I’ll be reading the book?

and what was the significance of Amazing Amy's pussy ???