Gone Girl (2014)

[Rinaldo]

I just got back from seeing it. I'm on record earlier in the thread as having pretty much liked the book In toto, and being worried about how such a print-based story would translate to film. Well, I feel like it's been done just about perfectly -- artfully, which is a good thing with this material, and beautifully in a way too. I have not a single nit to pick, which is almost never the case with me and movies. Rosamund Pike was a brilliant choice, as I've seen her in relatively little and didn't feel that I "knew" her -- it can be a danger with a very familiar face in a part that's supposed to be inscrutable. Nice casting right down the line, with special mention for the right-on use of Missi Pyle and Sela Ward as the TV ladies. And a big hurray for Carrie Coon, a stage fave of mine breaking through to the front rank in movies. I never expected to be so satisfied by a movie of this book. Well done, all.

[JBC344]

Really loved the movie.  I was a big fan of the book and I think Fincher did a great job with it.  Rosemund I have always enjoyed and she really impressed me in this, I do hope she gets a nomination.  Ben Affleck was great as Nick, he really can be underrated depending on the movie but he excelled at this one.  Carrie Coon as Go was really great as well.

 

I loved what Fincher did with the ending he kept the tone and the outcome the same just expanded on it.  Really good movie.

[sally-can-wait]

I usually love all things Fincher but this felt like his first “miss” to me. I really did not take to either Affleck or Pike in their roles. So much of their scenes together felt like script reading sessions and I did not believe for a second that they ever once were a loving couple. Fincher is usually so good with tension and mystery but I felt nothing throughout this thing. The ending didn't bother me because I didn't care about any of these people. The plot itself reminded me a bit of Side Effects with Rooney Mara, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum which, while certainly having flaws, had a much better pace and feel to it. Also, did anyone else find the music used in the flashback sequences to be distracting?

[scarynikki12]

Just got back from the movie.  That was one delightfully fucked up experience.  Flynn, Fincher, and the actors teamed to make a flat out great movie.  Carrie Coon and Tyler Perry were hilarious and very good in their roles, Ben was wonderfully understated (and I missed the Dong, which scene was it in?), the actors playing Nancy Grace and the cops were outstanding, and Pike was brilliant.  I've seen some of her British work and enjoyed her very much but she was pitch perfect here.  I found her hilarious, horrifying and, amazingly, sympathetic at different times.  Well done and I hope this opens up even more opportunities for her.  I'm also very glad that Neil has this on his resume.  He was great and it helps remove some of the stink from That Finale.

 

Two thumbs up from me!

[psychoticstate]

Saw the movie today and I think the movie is superior to the book, which almost never happens.  The film handled some of the trickier aspects of the book perfectly and casting was spot on.  Pike and Affleck were exactly right for Amy and Nick. 

 

Would not hesitate to recommend this one fully.  

[EllieH]

 

You had to really look to see Affleck dong. Even knowing it was coming (ahem), you really couldn't see anything. NPH's was much more obvious.

Saw Affleck's (shower scene with Amy) but missed NPH's, when was that?

 

Saw the movie today, I liked it and would totally recommend it.  I think they made some really smart choices in terms of adapting the book to a movie, and did a nice job tightening up the timeline (Nick, Go and Tanner searching his Dad's house and not finding the diary vs. the movie scene of them arriving to find the crime scene tape after we've already seen the cops find it is a good example).  Desi ended up as both more realistic and more creepy than his book version.  And the supporting players stole the show in many cases, nice work by Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, and Kim Dickens/ Patrick Fugit as the cops.

[Cranberry]

I thought it was great. I liked the book slightly more, but only because it was a book and could therefore include a lot more background information (like Amy pretending to be afraid of needles, and the stuff with Amy basically brainwashing Nick's father) and more characters (Hilary Handy, Desi's weird mother, Tanner Bolt's wife, Rebecca the blogger girl). I thought that Pike was perfect -- she could turn on the crazy eyes in an instant, and she really looked and sounded like a different person when she was staying at the cabins. I also loved the subtle changes in her face as she watched that Sharon Schieber interview and realized that she'd really won. Carrie Coon was also the perfect Go, and I liked Kim Dickens a lot as Boney; she had just the right amount of suspicion and world-weariness.

 

I found myself bored in a couple of places, but only because I knew what was going to happen and wanted to get to my favorite parts -- there wasn't anything I would have omitted from the film.

 

I also loved that laid-back cat.

[scarynikki12]

I also loved that laid-back cat.

 

Who you know was exasperated with Nick for not figuring it out instantly.  He was patiently waiting outside at the beginning all "She left without feeding me.  Wait, why are you worried?  It's so obvious she set you up!  You're better off.  Now feed me".

[Shannon L.]

 

Saw Affleck's (shower scene with Amy) but missed NPH's, when was that?

Right after she killed him, when she climbed off of him. 

[ccphilly]

Affleck was GREAT.  I was upset with the Nick casting-I thought they should have gone younger, more frat-boy type-but wow, he really brought it.  The scene where dopey Nick smiled at the picture of his missing wife was hilarious.  I also loved when it clicked for him that she was slowing setting him up.  I've never been a fan, but he made a great Nick.  Rosamund Pike was the version of Amy I had while reading the book, Carrie Coons, Tyler Perry (!), and Kim Dickens were all awesome. The only casting that didn't quite click for me was NPH.  I just didn't fully buy into his Desi, I loved the movie as much as I loved the book!

 

* On a side note, an older couple sat in front of me.  They ate sandwiches and applauded when the preview for Taken 3 (takin back the streets) came on.  They hated Gone Girl, but the husband said it was worth the money to see the Taken 3 preview- "Now THAT looks like a good move".  

[cpcathy]

Oh, by the way, was anyone cringing when they saw the cat? I am a huge animal person, and a cat didn't fare so well in Girl with The Dragon Tattoo--I was hoping Amy wouldn't go psycho on the cat!

[Cranberry]

I have a question for anyone who didn't read the book -- what did you think of Nick? Did he come across as intelligent and conniving to you, like Amy did? Did you feel bad for him? Did you think he'd killed Amy? The book included a lot of unreliable narrator stuff from him, and several instances of "I did [x thing] because that's what an innocent man would do" -- he was constantly reminding himself to act a certain way so that he wouldn't look suspicious. He also worked very hard to deliver the exact public apology that he knew Amy would want; he played her in a similar way to how she played him. Did that come across on screen?

 

I enjoyed all the little details that Flynn managed to include, like Go's intentionally long boring stories, the "twincest" comments, the "helpful" nosy neighbor, Amy spitting in Greta's drink, and Boney's offhand comment about "The Bar" being "meta" (that annoyed Nick in the book, that people actually got a joke he thought was too clever for them). I enjoyed the new stuff, too, like all the fuss over Nick wasting money on a robot dog. 

[JBC344]

I would be curious to hear from the non book readers as well.  I thought the adaptation was great, but I did wonder if those that didn't read the book would get that Nick for all intents and purposes was just as attracted to Amy's "crazy" in the end as he was to pretending to be the perfect person/husband for her.

 

I think the movie did a good job with it, especially in the last scene with Go, where she confronts him about wanting to stay with Amy not just because of the baby.  Also in the interview scene with Sela Ward where Nick is taunting Amy with her own clues.  He is just as attracted to the cat and mouse game. 

 

I was just curious if that was the impression the movie gave, that they were two peas in a pod. Ok, Amy was a little more of a murderous pea, but you get my point.

Edited October 6, 2014 by JBC344

[NumberCruncher]

I don't think the movie got that message across that Nick was addicted to the relationship as much as the book did, but I also don't think it really could have because a big part of Nick coming to that realization happens via the thoughts running through his mind.  Whereas we get a good glimpse of Amy's thought process through her diary entries, Nick doesn't get afforded the same privilege so it's that much harder to see portrayed onscreen.

[Shannon L.]

 

I have a question for anyone who didn't read the book -- what did you think of Nick? Did he come across as intelligent and conniving to you, like Amy did? Did you feel bad for him? Did you think he'd killed Amy?

I felt a little bit of everything about/for Nick.  At times sorry for him, at times thinking he did it, I felt bad for him, I hated him.....I think that's why the movie worked because in the beginning, it kept you guessing, in the middle, you felt bad for him (even though he had an affair--that's horrible to do to your spouse, but it's not a death penalty offense), yet at the same time, you saw how conniving he could be with the cat and mouse aspect of the "game" once he figured her out.

 

 

I did wonder if those that didn't read the book would get that Nick for all intents and purposes was just as attracted to Amy's "crazy" in the end as he was to pretending to be the perfect person/husband for her.

 

I think the movie did a good job with it, especially in the last scene with Go, where she confronts him about wanting to stay with Amy not just because of the baby.

Gosh, I don't know--there was so much to wrap my brain around I wonder if I should see it again.  I didn't get that he was attracted to her crazy, just that he wanted her to know that he was on to her and was going to do what he could to have her discovered.  I also didn't get the impression that he wanted to stay with her for reasons other than the baby.  I thought he felt he had no choice because (and maybe this was my own thoughts interjecting themselves where they didn't belong) if she was psycho enough to do what she did, what would she do to an infant if he left her?  I think I'm either going to have to see it again or wait several months and try to read the book.

 

This brings me to something that's been bothering me:  Why did the FBI drop the case so fast?  Nick said "How did she get the box cutters if she was tied up?" and the police woman asked her about the Punch and Judi club.  Both were legitimate questions.  I know the story was supposed to end like it did (because he was addicted to her and it didn't come across well on screen?), but it still bugged me because I wanted her caught (I know--Hollywood ending, but sometimes I like them). 

[Rick Kitchen]

I read that Flynn had the idea of Nick's "villainous chin" and the idea of him covering the dimple in his chin with his two fingers because of Affleck being cast in the role, I haven't read the book, but I guess from what I read, that wasn't in the book.

[Rinaldo]

I felt a little bit of everything about/for Nick.  At times sorry for him, at times thinking he did it, I felt bad for him, I hated him.....I think that's why the movie worked because in the beginning, it kept you guessing, in the middle, you felt bad for him (even though he had an affair--that's horrible to do to your spouse, but it's not a death penalty offense), yet at the same time, you saw how conniving he could be with the cat and mouse aspect of the "game" once he figured her out....

 

I know the story was supposed to end like it did (because he was addicted to her and it didn't come across well on screen?), but it still bugged me because I wanted her caught (I know--Hollywood ending, but sometimes I like them). 

On the first point, I highly recommend a reading of Linda Holmes's first blog entry about Gone Girl (she followed it with a very spoilery discussion, for those who knew the whole story or didn't care). I especially like her words "What drives any effective portrayal of Nick is that you must be able to believe that he could be a malevolent sort of pent-up guy, or he could be a middle-of-the-road lousy-husband guy, or he could be a truly put-upon and largely blameless guy. ... He has to be, to Amy, both charismatic and disappointing, and he has to be, to us, maybe innocent and maybe guilty but naggingly unseemly either way. It is the greasy sheen on Nick's personality, combined with something sympathetic in his insistence that he's innocent, that makes the movie run. And that is where Ben Affleck's sweet spot is."

 

As to the final point, I too wanted the "Hollywood ending" when I read the book (I get the impression that we're not at all alone), where the wicked get their comeuppance, but after a while the rightness of this one sank in. And it happens not just to protect the baby, or that he's maybe addicted to Amy; it's also to protect himself. After all, he now knows to what lengths Amy will go when she doesn't get what she wants.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Rinaldo

[Shannon L.]

 

"....And that is where Ben Affleck's sweet spot is."

Yes. Based on how I felt when watching it, they nailed his character in the movie.  Thanks for the link!  I'll read it as soon as I can.

 

After all, he now knows to what lengths Amy will go when she doesn't get what she wants.

Right.  That's another thing that I remember thinking when it was over. 

Edited October 7, 2014 by Shannon L.

[JBC344]

I think with the book there was a certain comfort with Nick deciding to stay with Amy.  There was this "release" that both characters can now be themselves and stop pretending for each other.  As crazy as Amy was Nick isn't actually repulsed by her.

 

I think the movie subtle attempted to do that when Go confronts Nick on staying with Amy for reasons other than the baby and he won't answer her because he is ashamed to admit out loud that he still wants her.  Coupled with what Tanner's character says in the movie. Nick is now husband #1 in the world. He and Amy will get book deals and he just franchised "The Bar".  He and Amy are now richer than they were, they get their writing careers back, and he gets his baby with Amy.

 

IMO they tried to dramatize that with Amy's homecoming.  Her running to him still covered in blood, his whispering to her "You fucking bitch" and her carefully fainting in his arms for the perfect shot.  To me that was Nick and Amy. 

[NoWillToResist]

 

I have a question for anyone who didn't read the book -- what did you think of Nick? Did he come across as intelligent and conniving to you, like Amy did? Did you feel bad for him? Did you think he'd killed Amy?

 

It's funny that you ask this because, at the end of the movie, I said to my husband: my only complaint is that ALL of this is unreliable narrator. The entire diary was a mix of truth and lies, and Nick was very lax with the truth too; in many cases, I have no idea whether certain events actually happened.

 

Did Amy correspond with Desi for the past 20 years (like she told the FBI), keeping him on hold just in case she ever needed him? Was it Amy or Nick who didn't want a child?

 

I had a suspicion that Amy had faked her own death but I had thought she was just a very organized 'scorned woman'. For a while, I was all "why in the hell does she plan on killing herself?" It was only a little later that I realized "oh...because she's a fucking sociopath. I see." It also somewhat lessened my grudging respect at the lengths she was willing to go (harming herself) to make it happen. Guess we're supposed to assume that her parents' stories really did a number on her.

 

I didn't understand her plan to toss herself into the Gulf of Mexico and assume that her body would be found. How was that going to incriminate Nick? When would he have had the time to dump her body there and get back home without anybody missing him?

 

There were also many moments of contrivance/luck which required me to handwave a bit. Nice that Desi had NO ONE who could serve as an alibi (e.g. "he couldn't have taken her on x day because he was in Europe on business that day").

 

I also couldn't tell whether the authorities' meagre investigation and easy acceptance of her story - which stunk to high hell - was meant as a searing indictment of how media taints impartiality. Amy had been cast as the victim, so whatever she says is the truth, no matter how many holes and inconsistencies are in her story.

 

Was it clear how much time had passed between the anonymous tip about the goods in the shed? Because it felt like fucking forever and I kept thinking "is no one going to check that out?" I couldn't believe they left that shit out there!!

 

I really liked the last line: "what will we do to each other?" because...yeah. Excellent question.

[blixie]

 

As to the final point, I too wanted the "Hollywood ending" when I read the book (I get the impression that we're not at all alone), where the wicked get their comeuppance, but after a while the rightness of this one sank in. And it happens not just to protect the baby, or that he's maybe addicted to Amy; it's also to protect himself. After all, he now knows to what lengths Amy will go when she doesn't get what she wants.

 

I've been struggling as to why I really liked the ending in the movie, but HATED it in the book, since in essentials it's the same. I mean I still think it's BS in the movie, but it's not the kind of angry making that I experienced after reading the end. I think while reading the novel you're kind of held hostage by these two assholes POV, whereas in the movie there is a lot of collective side-eye: Patrick Fugit, Go, Boney, Tanner even says out loud what most people are really thinking. As viewer your free to move around amongst all the perspectives, those outside the House, and those inside the House, coupled with some superior scripted bitter humor/satire lines, made the ending feel still unearned in a way, but satisfying and enjoyable none the less.

[jellysalmon]

Just got back. Loooved it.

I have a question for anyone who didn't read the book -- what did you think of Nick? Did he come across as intelligent and conniving to you, like Amy did? Did you feel bad for him? Did you think he'd killed Amy? ... He also worked very hard to deliver the exact public apology that he knew Amy would want; he played her in a similar way to how she played him. Did that come across on screen?

 

I definitely had a wavering impression of him. Somewhere in the first third (before the affair is revealed and the diary turned negative) I definitely had a thought that he might be guilty and be playing everyone. From then on I went back and forth until the big reveal. After that I definitely felt bad for him but was definitely super flawed.

 

One thing that was a new experience for me was that I was kind of rooting for both Amy and Nick at the same time while simultaneously liking them both as characters but finding them terrible as people. I think that's why I liked it so much, my mind was all kinds of conflicted.

 

I'd love to see one of those focus groups that had people rating how they thought about each character over the course of the film. 

[Rickster]

 

There were also many moments of contrivance/luck which required me to handwave a bit. Nice that Desi had NO ONE who could serve as an alibi (e.g. "he couldn't have taken her on x day because he was in Europe on business that day").

 

I also couldn't tell whether the authorities' meagre investigation and easy acceptance of her story - which stunk to high hell - was meant as a searing indictment of how media taints impartiality. Amy had been cast as the victim, so whatever she says is the truth, no matter how many holes and inconsistencies are in her story.

 .

These were the parts I had a lot of trouble handwaving away. I could buy creating the perfect frameup after planning it for years, but the on the fly successful framing of Desi and lack of investigation by the cops really bothered me. I would have even appreciated an explanation that Desi didn't have an alibi rather than just dropping any discussion.

A nitpick, but I was bothered by Amy's dried blood under the hospital gown. She would be cleaned up before Nick saw her, but i guess it seemed more dramatic.

[ktwo]

I also didn't get the impression that he wanted to stay with her for reasons other than the baby. I thought he felt he had no choice because (and maybe this was my own thoughts interjecting themselves where they didn't belong) if she was psycho enough to do what she did, what would she do to an infant if he left her?

I completely agree with you and having read the book, I think the book made that far more clear than the movie. Partly because the book went further into Nick and Go's relationship or lack thereof with their father, and Nick not wanting to repeat that. When I finished the book, I remember thinking that Nick was absolutely trapped because of Amy's story and the baby, but not at all happy about that. The movie kind of glossed over that and introduced a money angle as well with mentioning the lifetime movie etc.

Other than that, I thought it was really fabulously done. I went with half a dozen friends and almost all of us had read the book, and we all loved the movie. Pike was fantastic, Affleck was great (as I thought he'd be, but I was almost alone in my crowd with that prediction) and I think that the actress who played Margo will get a supporting actress Oscar nomination. She won't win, just one of those "okay you're in films now and this was a great performance" noms.

Shallow end note: I missed both the Affleck dong and the Doogie dong. But I did catch the moment where Nick put on a Mets cap, because I had read that Affleck would bare his dong but refused to put on the Yankees cap.

[scarynikki12]

I had read that Affleck would bare his dong but refused to put on the Yankees cap.

 

He does have his priorities.  What a little nudity compared to being forced to wear Yankees gear?

[methodwriter85]

 

I didn't understand her plan to toss herself into the Gulf of Mexico and assume that her body would be found. How was that going to incriminate Nick? When would he have had the time to dump her body there and get back home without anybody missing him?

 

They're in Missouri. If he dumped her body in the Mississippi River, it could eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico. They showed that the town of North Cathage is clearly on the river. The other possibility, which Amy seemed to pick up on, was that Margo would be seen as an accomplice. Nick could have killed Amy, stashed her body in his father's house, and then his sister could have taken the body.

 

 

I think the movie subtle attempted to do that when Go confronts Nick on staying with Amy for reasons other than the baby and he won't answer her because he is ashamed to admit out loud that he still wants her.  Coupled with what Tanner's character says in the movie. Nick is now husband #1 in the world. He and Amy will get book deals and he just franchised "The Bar".  He and Amy are now richer than they were, they get their writing careers back, and he gets his baby with Amy.

 

That's basically how I read it. Nick can't help but love the game that he plays with Amy. And in the end, Nick and Amy have become a brand, a brand that will make them a lot of money for years to come.

Edited October 7, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Shannon L.]

 

I also couldn't tell whether the authorities' meagre investigation and easy acceptance of her story - which stunk to high hell - was meant as a searing indictment of how media taints impartiality. Amy had been cast as the victim, so whatever she says is the truth, no matter how many holes and inconsistencies are in her story.

That's a good point--I hadn't thought of it that way.

 

I could buy creating the perfect frameup after planning it for years, but the on the fly successful framing of Desi and lack of investigation by the cops really bothered me. I would have even appreciated an explanation that Desi didn't have an alibi rather than just dropping any discussion.

Something that simple would have made a big difference for me, too.

 

I also had a problem with the dried blood not being washed off, but it was dramatic and one of the very few minor things wrong in what was otherwise a great movie, imo. 

[ktwo]

Oh I totally get why Affleck wouldn't put on the Yankees cap!

- Orioles fan

And Amy driving immediately home covered with blood made perfect sense to me, both for Amy's drama reasons and evidence purposes. What bugged was that she was in the shower for a while without washing it off.

And I forgot my biggest nitpick of all in what was again, what I thought was a fantastic movie: the brand new Volvo SUV they drove away from NYC. They would not have had that car living in NYC and they were broke when they moved. Plus it seemed to be a strange choice for a couple with no kids even without money issues.

I thought the house and neighborhood was perfect, though. And Casey Wilson and Sela Ward were great choices as well.

[JBC344]

I second that. The most unusual thing about this movie more than the plot was the casting "on paper".  Somehow Fincher made it all work.  Even Tyler Perry was good enough to make me forget about "Madea" and actually see him as a real actor.

[jellysalmon]

I was reading Linda Holmes' review and this part in particular resonated with me 

 

 

Others see (Amy) as, by the end, a cartoon, living down to every silly idea about women as naturally devious shrews who arrange pregnancies to get their own way and pretend they have been abused when they have not been.

What has always kept Amy from troubling me in this particular sense is that she does the things she does not because they are in her nature as a woman, but because they are in her nature as a psychopath. One of the problems with the relative paucity of interesting female characters is that they become responsible for representing all women, for speaking to What Women Are Like.

One question I had was about the scene where they meet at the dinner party. It was stylistically so different from the rest of the movie. I couldn't hear what they were saying, the dialogue felt fake, the chemistry was non-existent, the acting was flat. I'm wondering if that was by design in order to show contrast between the initial, real parts of the diary and the fabricated stuff. Or something? Whether by design or by mistake, that scene is super strange. What's it like in the book?

[NumberCruncher]

One question I had was about the scene where they meet at the dinner party. It was stylistically so different from the rest of the movie. I couldn't hear what they were saying, the dialogue felt fake, the chemistry was non-existent, the acting was flat. I'm wondering if that was by design in order to show contrast between the initial, real parts of the diary and the fabricated stuff. Or something? Whether by design or by mistake, that scene is super strange. What's it like in the book?

It was the same scene in the book, even right down to the dialogue spoken. I always got the impression that that meeting was the real thing and not fabrication. If you think about it, the way they play off of each other fits perfectly with their relationship. They both are masters at playacting charming, cool, and coy, as demonstrated in their initial flirtation. They managed to keep the act up through a few years of marriage, but ultimately it wore off and when it did, they ended up resenting each other.

[JBC344]

It was the same scene in the book, even right down to the dialogue spoken. I always got the impression that that meeting was the real thing and not fabrication. If you think about it, the way they play off of each other fits perfectly with their relationship. They both are masters at playacting charming, cool, and coy, as demonstrated in their initial flirtation. They managed to keep the act up through a few years of marriage, but ultimately it wore off and when it did, they ended up resenting each other.

Exactly, that scene with them meeting was sort of the start of them both "pretending" that seems to carry through the rest of their marriage.  The meeting scene, engagement scene, his interview scene, her return home when she faints, and finally their last interview with Missy Piele was Nick and Amy putting on a show for themselves and everyone else.

 

I think in the book it is a little more clear that Nick is just as "fake" as Amy, he just isn't a psychopath.

[Hava]

 

One question I had was about the scene where they meet at the dinner party. It was stylistically so different from the rest of the movie. I couldn't hear what they were saying, the dialogue felt fake, the chemistry was non-existent, the acting was flat. I'm wondering if that was by design in order to show contrast between the initial, real parts of the diary and the fabricated stuff. Or something? Whether by design or by mistake, that scene is super strange. What's it like in the book?

Thank you. I had the same reaction. I couldn't believe it was part of the same movie--it was so bad on all levels. It also seemed as though Amy's lines weren't coming out of Rosamund Pike's mouth--as though it had been redubbed. I was ready to give up on Rosamund Pike as an actress right then, but she redeemed herself in the rest of the movie.

[NoWillToResist]

 

A nitpick, but I was bothered by Amy's dried blood under the hospital gown. She would be cleaned up before Nick saw her, but i guess it seemed more dramatic.

 

Never mind being cleaned up by the time Nick saw her...how about the fact that she still had blood on her when she was released from the hospital!!!!?

 

 

That's basically how I read it. Nick can't help but love the game that he plays with Amy. And in the end, Nick and Amy have become a brand, a brand that will make them a lot of money for years to come.

 

I agree that Nick didn't seem as broken up about having to stick with Amy as I'd thought he'd be. I did feel like he had some kind of fucked up attraction to her after all this shit went down. His whispered "you. fucking. bitch" when she theatrically swooned in his arms in front of the news crews was awesome.

 

I found all the media stuff fascinating. I couldn't help but think that a financially strapped couple with total trust in each other and some media savvy could totally pull off a stunt like this TOGETHER in order to get short term fame and money.

 

Speaking of money, if money was so tight for them, why did they have that MONSTER of a house just for the two of them? I appreciated that the realty sign when they arrived said "leased", but still. That place was fucking massive. Maybe if they'd moved to a bungalow like his sister's, their money could have stretched a little further?

[Rinaldo]

Speaking of money, if money was so tight for them, why did they have that MONSTER of a house just for the two of them? I appreciated that the realty sign when they arrived said "leased", but still. That place was fucking massive. Maybe if they'd moved to a bungalow like his sister's, their money could have stretched a little further?

That's a sensible thought, to which I can think of two replies. One is in the book and doesn't really pertain to the movie: that this was a "failed" new development that had been finished just before the financial crash with many houses unsold, so leases were going cheap -- they didn't attempt to show this in the movie (maybe it wasn't practical, or worth the story time, to do so). The other: Amy didn't want to move to Missouri at all, and certainly wouldn't have gone for a house like Margo's. As whatever money they still had was hers, she called the shots on their level of comfort.

[JBC344]

They mention this briefly in the movie but they don't tie it to the housing neighborhood much. There is also a quick scene of the police holding the homeless on the lawn on their knees in the grass because they were squatting in one of the houses.  When Nick keeps mentioning "the homeless" to interview about Amy, and Patrick Fugit's character mocks him for blaming the homeless for Amy's disappearance.  In the book, the homeless population in town is growing and a lot of them camp out in the abandoned houses in Nick and Amy's neighborhood, which is how they got their great house for such a cheap price.

[Hava]

I hadn't read the book and didn't know much about the movie before I saw it. So I went in expecting a straightforward mystery/thriller. I expected a twist, but I did not expect the twist to almost completely change the tone and trajectory of the story to a psychological thriller and horror. Overall, I liked the film, but it just kept getting weirder and weirder for me. 

 

I think my biggest problem with the movie was that the reveal of Amy's psychopathy felt unearned, or something. I don't know much about psychopathy, but would a psychopath really care that her husband was cheating on her? Or that her husband pulled the same move on his mistress that he had pulled on her? Those are the reactions of someone who loved her husband and was hurt, not a psychopath. So, if anyone could fill me in on Amy's motivations, I would appreciate it.

 

Another thing I didn't get is how much of what Amy said was a lie. So did Nick not push her? Did Nick really want a baby? How about moving to Missouri? 

[NoWillToResist]

 

I don't know much about psychopathy, but would a psychopath really care that her husband was cheating on her? Or that her husband pulled the same move on his mistress that he had pulled on her? Those are the reactions of someone who loved her husband and was hurt, not a psychopath.

 

Other than the notion that psychopaths don't necessarily have to make sense due to the crazy, I think this could be explained as more "he's mine. I made him what he is. You don't get to have him." Possessive more than hurt, I'd say.

As for the duplicate move on the mistress, it may be more affront than hurt as well. She has managed to ensnare many a man with her playbook of moves and it appears Nick has his own playbook of moves to ensnare. :)

[Shannon L.]

 

The meeting scene, engagement scene, his interview scene, her return home when she faints, and finally their last interview with Missy Piele was Nick and Amy putting on a show for themselves and everyone else.

Having only seen the movie, I didn't get that he was putting on a show for the same reason she was.  The meeting and the engagement scene, to me, were witty and playful, not at all out of the norm (of course, I'm married to a witty, playful person).  As for the interview and her return home, I figured that he really didn't have a choice.  This (now pregnant) woman is capable of getting away with murder and everyone believes the sweet, innocent act.  When she returned home, he didn't really have a choice to say "Oh, for God's sake, you bitch, what did you do now?"  As for the interview, the FBI has closed the case, so accusing a sweet, innocent woman after the horror she'd been through wouldn't have gone over well, either.  And if she's capable of doing what she did to the other men in her life?  Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. 

 

I'm not saying that Nick is the sweet and innocent one--I can buy the above mentioned notion that they were playing a game when they met and continued to play it throughout the marriage until it got old and they ended up resenting each other.  I just think that she took things so far that he ended not having much of a choice but to play the game with her. 

[Spartan Girl]

Finally saw it last night and WOW.  Holy freaking God.  Even though I read the book, I still was not prepared for how twisted it was going to get.  Perhaps because the additional details of Amy hitting herself in the face with a hammer and showing exactly the lengths she would go to (violating herself with a wine bottle) to be convincing.

 

Ben Affleck did not disappoint.  He was definitely the right choice for this role: everything about Nick screamed "Douche" and despite his flaws I couldn't help pitying the poor bastard.  His relationship with Margo was the only functional one in the film.

 

Rosamund Pike was perfect as Amy.  You could tell that something was off about her even in the flashback scene when she met Nick at the party.  She pulls off "evil ice bitch" quite nicely without going too over the top.  Am I the only one that thinks she bears a resemblance to Emily Van Camp?

 

That scene where she kills Desi was the one I couldn't watch.  Yeesh.  Ironic how that sort of thing was Barney Stinson's worst nightmare.

 

My favorite part had to be the scene when Amy is milking the fame for all it was worth and Nick glares at her parents and spits, "You must be so proud."  I hated how Amy's parents used her disappearance to promote their Amazing Amy books.  Clear indication how Amy became who she was.

 

And Tyler Perry can act!  And all he had to do was be in a movie that he didn't direct or write!

 

Finally, I like everyone else loved the cat.

[yourstruly]

I remembered what happened to the cat in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so every time I saw the cat, I got a little nervous. It was an adorable cat.

 

I have not read the book, but I knew the gist of the plot and I still loved it. It was just really really fun and entertaining. The best was when the big surprise came out, even though the theater was half full (I saw it last night), you could still hear this shocked murmur go around, like "WTF?" And it was so funny. Tyler Perry's two big lines got the biggest laughs in the theater-he really was saying what everyone was thinking when they were thinking it. The only criticism I would have is that I thought it looked too dark and murky, even for Fincher, though that just may have been a problem at my theater.

[Rick Kitchen]

 

Am I the only one that thinks she bears a resemblance to Emily Van Camp?

 

I thought the exact same thing.

[JBC344]

Having only seen the movie, I didn't get that he was putting on a show for the same reason she was.  The meeting and the engagement scene, to me, were witty and playful, not at all out of the norm (of course, I'm married to a witty, playful person).  As for the interview and her return home, I figured that he really didn't have a choice.  This (now pregnant) woman is capable of getting away with murder and everyone believes the sweet, innocent act.  When she returned home, he didn't really have a choice to say "Oh, for God's sake, you bitch, what did you do now?"  As for the interview, the FBI has closed the case, so accusing a sweet, innocent woman after the horror she'd been through wouldn't have gone over well, either.  And if she's capable of doing what she did to the other men in her life?  Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. 

 

I'm not saying that Nick is the sweet and innocent one--I can buy the above mentioned notion that they were playing a game when they met and continued to play it throughout the marriage until it got old and they ended up resenting each other.  I just think that she took things so far that he ended not having much of a choice but to play the game with her. 

I mentioned the interview scene more for the aftermath scene where Nick is in the car with Go and Tanner and the scene opens with Ben Affleck with a huge grin on his face.  Now normally I would presume that someone in that position would still be panicked that Amy would take the bait so to speak, but Nick being Nick has a huge grin on his face that said "Your move, Amy" than panicked husband.

 

Yes, in certain ways Nick was "trapped" but he also had a part of him that still wanted Amy.  When Go asks him if he is staying with Amy other than the baby and he won't answer her says a lot.

 

As for the "safety" issue I actually interpreted it in a different way than most people are.  I got this both from the book and the movie, but bear with me.

 

To me Nick has a choice between two different scenarios.  Leave or stay with Amy.  IMO, leaving Amy is safer in the sense that being her divorced husband is what will keep her away from him. If anything ever happened to him Amy would be the prime suspect.  If Nick divorces Amy and he is going around claiming that she set this all up and is a psychopath and may come after him he would surely loose everything that would come with his new found fame but it would also guarantee his safety that Amy would be the prime suspect if anything ever did happen to him.

 

Second choice is that he stays with Amy, who could easily do something to him while under the same roof and come out clean because of public opinion of her.  But while staying with Amy he will get everything else he ever wanted in life.  He franchised "The Bar", they now have book and movie deals, and will be incredibly rich.

 

For me I find Nick to have more of a "Devil's bargain" with Amy than necessarily he is "trapped/forced" to stay with her.  To me saying he is "trapped" is more like implying that he doesn't have a choice.  He has a choice it is just if he goes with the actual truth he loses public opinion, new found fame and fortune, and will probably have to start from scratch. 

 

I find Nick to be more "I can't beat her so I'll join her".  Don't get me wrong I don't find Nick and Amy to be on the same level at all just that Nick isn't as helpless in the situation as he may seem.

[Shannon L.]

I can understand those points, too, JBC344--they make a lot of sense.  I think her being pregnant is what is swaying me a little bit more to the "forced" aspect of it.  Like I said in an above post, I would be scared to death about what she'd do to a baby if I left.  Not once did I get the impression that this child was more than a bargaining chip.  Maybe at one time in their relationship, they really did want a child and would have been thrilled to be expecting, but at that moment, it wreaked of manipulation.  Another thing that might be making me want to think of Nick as being a little more innocent (but not completely) is that I knew someone in high school who I wouldn't put it past to do something similar to this.  Not that extreme, but definitely destroying someone by lying about sexual misconduct.

 

I'm thinking I'll see this movie again--there was so much to take in, I might have missed something important.  I need to make sure I got all of the little nuances. 

 

As for Rosamund Pike looking like Emily Van Camp, I can see that.  When she was disguising herself as plain looking, I thought she looked like Laura Linny.  I also thought that the actress playing Margo looked a little like Janeane Garofalo and a little like a young Justine Batemen (during her Family Ties days).

[Rinaldo]

To me Nick has a choice between two different scenarios.  Leave or stay with Amy.  IMO, leaving Amy is safer in the sense that being her divorced husband is what will keep her away from him. If anything ever happened to him Amy would be the prime suspect.  If Nick divorces Amy and he is going around claiming that she set this all up and is a psychopath and may come after him he would surely loose everything that would come with his new found fame but it would also guarantee his safety that Amy would be the prime suspect if anything ever did happen to him.

This is ingenious, and I thank you for sharing it. But is it articulated like that anywhere in the book? I had a quick look just now, but I may have missed it; anyway, I don't recall it. Also, it seems risky to me with someone as far around the bend as Amy -- if she become furious and killed me, it would be small comfort to know that she was now the prime suspect.

[JBC344]

This is ingenious, and I thank you for sharing it. But is it articulated like that anywhere in the book? I had a quick look just now, but I may have missed it; anyway, I don't recall it. Also, it seems risky to me with someone as far around the bend as Amy -- if she become furious and killed me, it would be small comfort to know that she was now the prime suspect.

Thank you. I don't think it is articulated in much depth in the book because I don't believe the money and fame aren't in the book.  The movie takes the beginning of that and expands on it with the book and movie deals and them sort of selling themselves as a whole brand.

 

I also wanted to add to my thought about Nick would be more safer leaving Amy in that she wouldn't want to take the risk of going after him.  In essence she would have more personal gain in that scenario.  If Nick left her, she would be "poor Amy who went through this traumatic experience, now her lying, cheating husband is leaving her alone and pregnant, and claiming she faked the whole thing".  Amy's stock would go through the roof that it would probably be the one thing that would keep her from going after Nick in that she wouldn't want any of that to go away if she was suspected of messing with him.

 

I do agree though that the baby adds another element to it.

[SallyAlbright]

Finally saw it last night and WOW.  Holy freaking God.  Even though I read the book, I still was not prepared for how twisted it was going to get.  Perhaps because the additional details of Amy hitting herself in the face with a hammer and showing exactly the lengths she would go to (violating herself with a wine bottle) to be convincing.

 

Ben Affleck did not disappoint.  He was definitely the right choice for this role: everything about Nick screamed "Douche" and despite his flaws I couldn't help pitying the poor bastard.  His relationship with Margo was the only functional one in the film.

 

Rosamund Pike was perfect as Amy.  You could tell that something was off about her even in the flashback scene when she met Nick at the party.  She pulls off "evil ice bitch" quite nicely without going too over the top.  Am I the only one that thinks she bears a resemblance to Emily Van Camp?

 

That scene where she kills Desi was the one I couldn't watch.  Yeesh.  Ironic how that sort of thing was Barney Stinson's worst nightmare.

 

My favorite part had to be the scene when Amy is milking the fame for all it was worth and Nick glares at her parents and spits, "You must be so proud."  I hated how Amy's parents used her disappearance to promote their Amazing Amy books.  Clear indication how Amy became who she was.

 

And Tyler Perry can act!  And all he had to do was be in a movie that he didn't direct or write!

 

Finally, I like everyone else loved the cat.

 

Apparently not! My Mom kept commenting on how much RP resembled EVC. 

[Spartan Girl]

I agree that Nick might have stayed with Amy for reasons other than the baby, but the fact remains that the baby was a pretty big reason.  Would you leave a child in the hands of a woman like that?!  Staying was the only way he could keep her from damaging that baby physically and emotionally...and sadly that still might not be enough in the long run.

 

Damn, I already feel terrible for that poor child.  And the cat (although Nick did a pretty good job taking care of it).

 

Speaking of which, didn't everyone appreciate how the previews made Nick sitting in the dark holding the cat look sinister only to see in the actual film that he was actually hiding in terror from Amy.  That big smile she gave him at the police station scared me as much as it made me laugh.

Edited October 9, 2014 by Spartan Girl

[methodwriter85]

I completely picked up on the Emily Van Camp resemblance as well.

 

I think it really worked that Rosamund Pike has been steadily working, but there's nothing you can really point to as her "signature" role. She's experienced enough to pull this role off, but she doesn't have "role baggage" the way someone like Reese Witherspoon or Rachel McAdams do.

[Rinaldo]

I very much agree. In fact I don't recall seeing her since "Pride and Prejudice," so she was a blank slate for me -- perfect for this role and movie.