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Gone Girl Blu-ray Review

   Actors: Tyler Perry, Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris
  • Format: Blu-ray, Widescreen
  • Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
  • Dubbed: French, Spanish
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox
  • Release Date: January 13, 2015
  • Run Time: 148 minutes




  •         I am actually quite amazed that director David Fincher was not honored with a Best Director nomination for Gone Girl. It isn’t that I believe the film to be better than the onslaught of heavy drama that followed it in award season, or even that this is one of the filmmaker’s best films, but the manner in which Fincher was able to elevate the material shows sophistication and skill. What could have been a simple and sloppy exercise in campy entertainment is instead a spectacularly complex cinematic experience. Fincher’s pristine visual style enhances and compliments the dark adult tale adapted from the Gillian Flynn bestseller.

     

            Simultaneously satirizing both the modern marriage and the media machine driving the news in this country, Gone Girl begins as a simple missing-persons narrative. On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) returns home to find a crime scene and his wife missing. As a massive investigation into the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) takes place, evidence begins to point towards Nick as the main suspect. Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) digs deeper, only to discover that the couple’s seemingly perfect life was rife with marital distress. This evidence is enough to convict Nick in the court of public opinion long before actually being charged with a crime. 

     

            Gone Girl doesn’t have a twist in the plot as much as a complete reversal of direction in the narrative less than halfway through the film. This makes it somewhat difficult to talk about the very things that make the movie so effective, though it all comes down to excellence in each of the individual elements of filmmaking. The actors are superb, from the perfectly cast Affleck to the surprising against-type supporting performances by Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry. Fincher once again utilizes the talents of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for another well-matched score, and Jeff Cronenweth’s immaculate cinematography is perfectly balanced against the campy chaos of the narrative. 

            Despite being one of the most rewarding film experiences for intellectual audiences seeking entertainment and doing quite well at the box office, there is a surprising lack of special features in this package. The construction of the physical package is impressive, with a box set that includes a Blu-ray and Digital HD copy paired alongside a miniature copy of one of the “Amazing Amy” children’s books featured in the film. As far as actual extras on the disc, there is only one. Fortunately, it is the best special feature that fans could ask for, with Fincher providing one of his famously informative commentary tracks.

     

    Entertainment Value: 8.5/10

    Quality of Filmmaking: 9.5/10

    Historical Significance:  7/10

    Special Features: 7.5/10

     

     

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