Gone Girl

[PDXChris]

I like this one a lot.

 

[Bert]

Structure:

Not spoilery on the details, but better safe than sorry.

Spoiler

chapters alternate pov's. First one is the husband's perspective in present day. Second is the wife's flashbacks via her diary. Third chapter is back to him, etc. Then the two perspectives inform each other while she catches up to his timeline. Genius for reading. Harder to do in film.

If he pulls it off, which I know he will, it will just solidify his status as the best director working today.

He doesn't just pull it off he knocks what you are talking about out of the park.

This movie was great, Affleck was really good and Rosmud Pike is absolutely brilliant. Best Actress for shizzle.

 

[Stout]

People who say he needs to tighten his movies/editing are spot on. There was absolutely no need for a 2 1/2 hour movie here--and I love long movies! Cut fifteen minutes off the beginning half, and fifteen minutes off the opening half, and it would have been solid.

Except for the ending, which was total crap. Of course, you can't blame the filmmakers for that one

 

[Cheesebeef]

I thought it was really solid entertainment, but not one of Fincher's best.

I do have to commend Affleck on the complete 180 he's accomplished with his career. After Daredevil/Gigli, he was pretty much looked at as a joke, but between directing Gone Baby Gone, The Town, pulling off the twofer with Argo and this, the guy is on fire.

 

[Chaplin]

I thought it was really solid entertainment, but not one of Fincher's best.

I do have to commend Affleck on the complete 180 he's accomplished with his career. After Daredevil/Gigli, he was pretty much looked at as a joke, but between directing Gone Baby Gone, The Town, pulling off the twofer with Argo and this, the guy is on fire.

Pretty much agree with all this.

 

[Brian]

This movie started off realllly slow. I had to fight hard not to fall asleep for the first 25 minutes. Then it got incredible, then it got stupid.

The last 15-20 minutes were some of the stupidest minutes ever put on film. The ending was a joke. MASSIVE plot-holes. MASSIVE.

My wife (who read the book) was explaining to me afterwards that the book covers those plot-holes by explaining things about why and how Afflecks character is the way he is and did what he did at the end.

My response was "that's great, but I didn't read the book and the movie did nothing to explain it."

I just left the theater feeling angry. So much promise just went poof. Stupid ending. Not believable in any way.

 

[Chaplin]

This movie started off realllly slow. I had to fight hard not to fall asleep for the first 25 minutes. Then it got incredible, then it got stupid.

The last 15-20 minutes were some of the stupidest minutes ever put on film. The ending was a joke. MASSIVE plot-holes. MASSIVE.

My wife (who read the book) was explaining to me afterwards that the book covers those plot-holes by explaining things about why and how Afflecks character is the way he is and did what he did at the end.

My response was "that's great, but I didn't read the book and the movie did nothing to explain it."

I just left the theater feeling angry. So much promise just went poof. Stupid ending. Not believable in any way.

Kinda like jumping off the roof of a 6-story building at the exact location where a blow-up cushion is on the street.

 

[NJCardFan]

am I the only person who didn't see Ben Affleck's much buzzed about penis?

No. I didn't see it either but then again I wasn't looking. You see Neil Patrick Harris' junk though. That said, I was entertained. My wife read the book and told me the ending wasn't good but IMO the story ended exactly the way it should have but I had issues with a few plot points:

Spoiler

The whole thing with the bought items hidden in the shed. This was really dumb. I mean for starters, that's a boat load of deliveries that had to be made somewhere. She sure as hell didn't buy them in a store as that can be verified through security cameras so they had to be delivered to the house. No one saw delivery truck after delivery truck pulling up to the house? Also, no one saw her bringing the stuff to Margo's shed? I mean, again, there was a lot of stuff. Someone had to see something. Also, apparently he bought a 60" TV. There's no way she carried that on her own to the shed. And Margo NEVER goes to her shed? Ever?

 

[Iceman]

I wife said it was one of the worst movies she has seen. Glad she said that, so now I don't have to watch it!

 

[Brian]

No. I didn't see it either but then again I wasn't looking. You see Neil Patrick Harris' junk though. That said, I was entertained. My wife read the book and told me the ending wasn't good but IMO the story ended exactly the way it should have but I had issues with a few plot points:

Spoiler

The whole thing with the bought items hidden in the shed. This was really dumb. I mean for starters, that's a boat load of deliveries that had to be made somewhere. She sure as hell didn't buy them in a store as that can be verified through security cameras so they had to be delivered to the house. No one saw delivery truck after delivery truck pulling up to the house? Also, no one saw her bringing the stuff to Margo's shed? I mean, again, there was a lot of stuff. Someone had to see something. Also, apparently he bought a 60" TV. There's no way she carried that on her own to the shed. And Margo NEVER goes to her shed? Ever?

Spoiler

That was one of the most minor plot holes to me. The completely unbeleiveable choices made by Affleck's character at the end were the most troubling. He is really going to choose to take back into his life a sociopath killer that tried to get him convicted of murder? Really? It's not like she had something on him where she could blackmail him. There is no way in hell any sane person would have brought her back into their life. Any normal person would have run from her.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Just saw this tonight. Thought it was long. Not really sure if I liked it or not. (Strange, I know.)

Here's one thing I found weird ...

Spoiler

No one was concerned about Neil Patrick Harris's character? Did he have no family or friends? I guess there was a "history" there that led to people not looking into things too much, but I dunno.

Also, if Nick knew she was cray, why didn't he set something up in the house to catch her in her lies? I guess it just didn't seem all that believable to me.

 

[Superbone]

Spoiler

That was one of the most minor plot holes to me. The completely unbeleiveable choices made by Affleck's character at the end were the most troubling. He is really going to choose to take back into his life a sociopath killer that tried to get him convicted of murder? Really? It's not like she had something on him where she could blackmail him. There is no way in hell any sane person would have brought her back into their life. Any normal person would have run from her.

Spoiler

But she did have something on him. His unborn child. She threatened that she would teach his kid to hate him.

 

[Superbone]

Just saw this tonight. Thought it was long. Not really sure if I liked it or not. (Strange, I know.)

Here's one thing I found weird ...

Spoiler

No one was concerned about Neil Patrick Harris's character? Did he have no family or friends? I guess there was a "history" there that led to people not looking into things too much, but I dunno.

Also, if Nick knew she was cray, why didn't he set something up in the house to catch her in her lies? I guess it just didn't seem all that believable to me.

Spoiler

And if his lawyer had "his best people" out looking for his wife, he would have had guys watching the NPH character and found her.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Spoiler

And if his lawyer had "his best people" out looking for his wife, he would have had guys watching the NPH character and found her.

Good point!

 

[Brian]

Spoiler

But she did have something on him. His unborn child. She threatened that she would teach his kid to hate him.

Spoiler

In the movie that's not possible though. Like Nick said, he hadn't touched her in months, and in the movie she never really answered that. Maybe the book explains it but the movie didn't.

 

[crisper57]

Spoiler

In the movie that's not possible though. Like Nick said, he hadn't touched her in months, and in the movie she never really answered that. Maybe the book explains it but the movie didn't.

Spoiler

It was explained. He had donated sperm at a sperm bank and she had self-inseminated. He thought she had thrown the notice from the bank that they were disposing of his specimen in the trash as a sign that she didn't care. In reality, she threw the notice away but then contacted them to keep it. Then she used it to get pregnant and blackmail him.

 

[Brian]

Spoiler

It was explained. He had donated sperm at a sperm bank and she had self-inseminated. He thought she had thrown the notice from the bank that they were disposing of his specimen in the trash as a sign that she didn't care. In reality, she threw the notice away but then contacted them to keep it. Then she used it to get pregnant and blackmail him.

Ah. There were so many levels of dumb going on I probably had quit paying attention at that point.

Thanks.

 

[crisper57]

Ah. There were so many levels of dumb going on I probably had quit paying attention at that point.

Thanks.

Yeah. So it definitely wasn't a plot hole. Just something else (nonsensical hole?)

 

[Mulli]

Ah. There were so many levels of dumb going on I probably had quit paying attention at that point.

Thanks.

I tried to tell people. Haha

 

[Covert Rain]

The wife and I went to see this finally. We thought it was great. It's one of those films that in any other director's hand could have been a disaster which is a testament to DF. We were worried the film was spoiled somewhat from the previews but went in so many other directions that was laid to rest quickly.

The cast was phenomenal. Ben Affleck was very good and Rosamund Pike was GREAT. Sure you had to suspend some belief for some of the plot points but the movie just worked. We left the theater thinking ...."wow...that's messed up". Thought about how messed up the situation ended for a couple hours after we left.

 

[UncleChris]

Spoiler

But she did have something on him. His unborn child. She threatened that she would teach his kid to hate him.

Spoiler

That would have been rough to do from prison, or from being dead (executed)

 

[UncleChris]

4 of us went together to see this film, and even though we guessed fairly early on what was happening, we were into it and really enjoying it (especially the very obvious and well deserved pokes at Nancy Grace). A few plot holes? Sure.... but nothing horrid. And then it ended and it just ruined the whole experience. There are several ways they could have gone with the ending, but the one they chose was simply the worst. Look.... a movie ending doesn't have to have an ending with sparkle ponies and unicorns that poop neapolitan ice cream. But this ending was so dismal, unbelievable and dumb that it just took away from the whole experience and left us feeling angry. Mostly because of the ending, we gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

 

[Covert Rain]

4 of us went together to see this film, and even though we guessed fairly early on what was happening, we were into it and really enjoying it (especially the very obvious and well deserved pokes at Nancy Grace). A few plot holes? Sure.... but nothing horrid. And then it ended and it just ruined the whole experience. There are several ways they could have gone with the ending, but the one they chose was simply the worst. Look.... a movie ending doesn't have to have an ending with sparkle ponies and unicorns that poop neapolitan ice cream. But this ending was so dismal, unbelievable and dumb that it just took away from the whole experience and left us feeling angry. Mostly because of the ending, we gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Have to completely disagree. The ending was unconventional and actually is one of the reason the movie had a lasting impact for me and the wife. Anytime an ending leaves you going "wow that's just messed up" and gets you to keep thinking about that it's a good thing IMO. We liked it.

 

[UncleChris]

Have to completely disagree. The ending was unconventional and actually is one of the reason the movie had a lasting impact for me and the wife. Anytime an ending leaves you going "wow that's just messed up" and gets you to keep thinking about that it's a good thing IMO. We liked it.

...eye of the beholder....

 

[Stout]

Have to completely disagree. The ending was unconventional and actually is one of the reason the movie had a lasting impact for me and the wife. Anytime an ending leaves you going "wow that's just messed up" and gets you to keep thinking about that it's a good thing IMO. We liked it.

It didn't leave me going "wow, that's just messed up", it left me going, "wow, it was completely and utterly unbelievable that this would ever happen in any situation ever"