A matter of wife and death

After taking an unnecessary stab at recreating the Swedish hit The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and it falling a bit short thematically, David Fincher returns with a grippingly destructive adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel - Gone Girl.

It all 'begins' on the day of bar owner Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Amy's (Rosamund Pike) fifth wedding anniversary; where as per usual Amy had left a series of clues for Nick to find but this time it is shudderingly different. Nick finds his Missouri home violated; the front door wide open; a glass table smashed and his wife missing. Upon arriving at the scene, detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) spots specs of blood and other suspicious findings and senses that all is not as it seems. 

After discovering evidence of financial struggles and domestic altercations the finger is quickly pointed towards Nick, whose actions and emotions are deemed suspicious by the ever-judging, ever-growing press. The audience sees Nick explaining his side of the story, trying to persuade the police of his innocence but they aren't buying it. Amy's account is told through extracts of her incriminating diary, flashbacks and voiceovers, which reveals an alternative view of their apparently idyllic marriage. 

Just like in The Game, the main characters adopt and project different personas, while their true selves are hidden underneath layers of deceit. Everything is a performance. They are editing and rewriting themselves for the public – and for one another.

Affleck and Pike are cleverly cast, with their contrasting styles complimenting their characters' mismatched marriage. Affleck gives a very natural performance, he is confident but not cocky and charming, yet conveys a sly sense of concealment. Pike portrays a woman with such depth and complexity as if it is almost second nature to her. Margo, Nick's twin sister (Carrie Coon) brings elements of light relief with her blunt humour and comedic timing.

At 149 minutes long, the film never drags nor does the mood drop. Mystifying, unpredictable and tantalisingly dark, should you watch it? Only if you don't mind being bamboozled by the end of it. The film asks how well did Nick know his wife? But in reality it is really asking the audience how much do they know about their partners? It's a scary thought.