This is probably one of the most difficult
reviews to write without completely spoiling the whole movie.
While yes, most of the reviews are written with the pretense
that the reader has watched the movie, this movie requires a
next level, a kind of Crying Game spoiler. Much
has been made of the movie's plot twists, and I concur I
didn't see the ending coming. But to delve into that there are
nothing but spoilers that will be discussed, and certainly
there is something else that can be discussed beforehand?
Something that isn't completely about plot twists, or centered
on the divisive ending?
One such safe topic then is the casting choice of Ben Affleck
and this whole notion of fame. No stranger to high praise,
negative backlash and all around media scrutiny himself, one
can't but help feel that at some point art was imitating life.
We the public are fickle, one moment we're hating you, the
next we love you, and sometimes we can move back to the
hate. Fame is tricky, and we claim to abhor it, till it
comes knocking on our door and then we hope it stays a while.
Is Nick actually seeking this fame? And what about Amy's
parents? Something had happened between Amy and them, some
truth that I'm left searching for. The fictional Amazing Amy
led a charmed life that the real life Amy resented. But did
the desire for one more story, one in which real life Amy
bested Amazing Amy lead her down this path? Allusions were
made to the Amazing Amy line being dropped, (semi spoiler) was
this all one big ploy by the parents to generate more book
sales? To what lengths will we go to keep that spotlight on
us, and at what price? Nick says he will stay till the vans
leave, but we don't see the vans leaving….do they ever leave?
The highs and lows of fame are at the
mercy of public opinion. We live in a world where perception
is reality, if we perceive you to be responsible for the
crime, whether or not you actually did it is irrelevant. In
the court of public opinion you have been trialed and found
guilty. This public
opinion court includes scrutiny of your non
verbal cues- do your eyes shift? Is a smile needed for a
missing picture photo op? The placement of your hands. How
much you sweat. As well as the verbal cues- How sad does his
voice come off looking for his wife? How defensive is he in
answering the police questions? All these signals allow the
public to determine in mere minutes how good a husband Nick
Dunne is and therefore his involvement in his wife's
disappearance. If you think all you need is truth, and that
alone shall set you free should has never heard a criminal
court case. The truth isn't enough, it is what the public
thinks is the truth that is critical, and with the right PR
the court of public opinion can be swayed. With just the right
tone, the right words, and suddenly the public moves from love
to hate. In a world where brutal dictators hire PR firms
rather than actually doing something to find kidnapped girls,
we begin to grasp how important perception really is.
The movie's plot changes our perception of who is good, and
who is bad and all the unraveling leads to an unexpected end.
What I look for in endings is closure, I want finality. I own
that I like things to be neatly wrapped up, despite that being
not true to life, I feel it makes for a more satisfying
cinematic experience. I want to see the boy get the girl, good
triumph over evil, and David slew Goliath. These may be tried
and true, but they work for a reason. It is a reminder that
while these tropes don't hold true in real life, they do
in film (do not read further if you absolutely don't want to
know the ending) I feel like the ending of Gone Girl is akin
to the Sopranos ending. After being manipulated for 148
minutes into believing what the writer and director want me
believe, during the last minute I'm suddenly being asked to
come up with my own ending? Use my own imagination to fill in
the blanks? This abrupt cut is for who's benefit? In
interviews the writer states it isn't for a sequel, I say time
will tell on that. There is no finality with the fade to
black, I'm left wanting more. If that was indeed the film
maker's intent, well then bravo because I sat in my chair,
watching credits role, thinking, surely something else is
coming? The author says this was the only ending that made
sense, the only ending people could handle- clearly justice be
damned. I have my own ending, and perhaps in the DVD alternate
endings will be given, for surely no movie is crying out more
for an alternate ending than this movie. If the intent
of the ending was to infuriate, the ending achieved that as
well. As my friend said though, the ending did spark
conversation, no matter how frustrating it is. If debate is
the measure of work, then this movie scores high. As it is,
with such an ending as the last thing I am to remember about
this movie, it takes it from what was a good movie, and turns
it into to a terrible movie.
