Saturday, October 18, 2014

Gone Girl Book/Movie Review

Rating: 4.5

UPDATED
Originally published 1/15/14

(continued from yesterday)

Hi everyone!  I absolutely loved this book!  If you haven't had a chance to read it, please do.  It was very well written.  When it comes to mysteries, I hate when I can figure out "who done it" and with what and why before I'm halfway into the story.  With GG, I did not see the twists coming.



I will admit, I thought it was a slow start and I was thinking, "Oh no, I hope I can make it through to the end."  About a 1/4 of the way in, I was hooked and if I didn't have kids to feed, laundry to fold, and toys to put away, I would have finished this story within two days.

I had mixed emotions about the ending.  I was surprised that it went the direction it did, but then I realized these two people were two peas in a pod and would always try to one up the other.  They would never be satisfied with the other one "winning".

The film is scheduled to be released October 2014.  Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike are playing Nick and Amy Dunne.  I like Affleck, and I have high hopes for him in this role.  Unfortunately the only times I have been blown away by his performances were in films he directed.  As I was reading, I didn't have any particular actors in mind and think he is a good choice.  As for Pike...uh...well...let's just say, I watched Jack Reacher (I was bored and there was nothing else on) and I was less than impressed with her.  Maybe I need to see her in other work.  I just didn't find her a great actress. I don't know what the difference was in the script for Rosamund Pike but she NAILED it as Amazing Psycho Amy!  Especially when we get to see her perspective of things.  By the end you can tell she is really just a great nut job.  Ben Affleck did a great job as well.  Actually I thought Carrie Coon as his sister, Margo, stood out a bit more than Affleck.  It's not that Nick isn't a well developed character, but somehow Coon really brought Go more to the lime light.  She stood out and I really enjoyed her performance.  Tyler Perry was smooth as but-tuh as lawyer Tanner Bolt.  He's the defense lawyer everyone would want to have on their side!

Will this Amy be psycho enough???
Edit: Yes, yes she was!!!  Thank you Rosamund Pike!

I love Neil Patrick Harris and to see him cast in the stalking role of Desi has me very excited to see what he brings to the character.  I think he might really impress me.  I hope so. Was pleasantly surprised.  Still had too much of a physical similarity to his HIMYM character, Barney, but the personality was a lot more loving.  I just wish they would have made him look different so I thought of him more as Dezi.  Not his alter ego or actual self.   However, his final scene was splendidly gruesome and fantastic. The rest of the cast, I am not too familiar with.  Check out the rest of the cast here.

*spoilers*

As for the book, I liked how Nick's time frame was current and Amy's was flashbacks in her journal.  Considering she is missing, it gave us an idea of where she was coming from and what could possibly have gone wrong.   Then all of a sudden, BAM!  Amy is NOT who we thought she was.  Maybe others could have seen the story going in this direction, but I did not.  This twist cranked it up for me and I wanted to see just how far she was willing to go and what was going to be her outcome as well as Nick's.  For as much as I loved the psychotic, twisty turns in this screwd up relationship, I did feel a little let down by the ending.  It's not that it wasn't a good ending or a quick "let's wrap it up" finish, but I wanted to see Amy suffer her consequences.  I do give Flynn a thumbs up for the following:

  Nick has spent all his free time these past months slathering my belly with cocoa butter and running out for pickles and rubbing my feet, and all the things good fathers-to-be are supposed to do.  Doting on me.  he is learning to love me unconditionally, under all my conditions.  I think we are finally on our way to happiness.  I have finally figured it out.  
  We are on the eve of becoming the world's best, brightest nuclear family.
  We just need to sustain it.  Nick doesn't have it down perfect.  This morning he was stroking my hair and asking what else he could do for me, and I said: "My gosh, Nick, why are you so wonderful to me?"
  He was supposed to say: You deserve it.  I love you.
  But he said, "Because I feel sorry for you."
  "Why?"
  "Because every morning you have to wake up and be you."

I really, truly wish he hadn't said that.  I keep thinking about it.  I can't stop. (p. 414-415)

Wow, that would be horrible to hear from your spouse.  So I guess that's worse than any prison time.  She's stuck with herself.  And even she knows that's not good.

At the end of the film, you know Nick  wants to leave but he is staying for the baby's sake and does whatever Amy needs despite his hatred.  I wish the final clip before credits would have been Nick running his fingers through Amy's hair and saying, "I feel sorry for you because every morning you have to wake up and be you."  Then focus on Amy's facial reaction.  Black out.  I think that would have been a stronger punch.

Despite a few changes, which didn't alter or completely change the story, the film stayed very true to the book as far as tone, flashbacks, and details.  I checked out who the screenplay writer was and it was the author herself.  Explains why her film was truthful.  I think most authors should be the only ones to write the screenplay.  Most of the time, it works out far better than someone else.  Great film and highly recommend it.  I would suggest reading the book first.  Because of it's thriller nature, it is far more gripping to read and then see just how they are going to portray that onto the screen.  I don't think it would be as a great a read seeing the film first.  But I have been known to be very wrong, so do whatever you want.  haha!  Both are excellent.






18 comments:

  1. When it comes to Amy, do you think a lot of women pretend to be the "cool girl"? And if so, why do they feel they have to put on a facade? Do you think it's women (as well as men) of all ages who act this way?

    I remember trying to be the cool girl a few times growing up, but it was such a waste of my energy and time. I hated that I wasn't being me. The guys I thought were great, turned out to be total losers because they just liked superficial. I was in my mid twenties when I knew who I was, what I stood for, and what I wasn't going to settle for in a relationship. If the guy didn't like me for me: bed head, impatience, distaste for mushrooms, and other quirks...he wasn't for me. Wouldn't you know, the first time I acted like me and the guy marries me. 11 years. Go figure.

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    1. First let me say this book reminded me of a toxic and darker "War of the Roses." Anyway, I finally finished the book today. I loved it but I feel bad for liking such a twisted, screwed up story. The characters were, sad, funny and toxic. The story brought up so many questions about relationships, consequences and social awareness that I don't know where to begin.

      Back to your question: "When it comes to Amy, do you think a lot of women pretend to be the "cool girl"? And if so, why do they feel they have to put on a facade? Do you think it's women (as well as men) of all ages who act this way?"

      Hmm! I hate to say it but I think women and men are guilty of putting up facades in the beginning of a relationship. I don't think I can assign an age to it either. I think its more to do with trust issues by adopting persona's that are "cool" or popular because its easier to sell than originality or odd. Meaning some people get with someone because they make them look good in public or on paper for example the men who go for the "trophy wife" or the women who marries the "old sugar daddy" but they can't stand them in private. It's like people get sold on what they think a relationship should be in the media instead of what a relationship should be for them. Does that make sense?

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    2. Yes it does make sense? I think it all goes back to what we have discussed before. These screwd up relationships/people have no spiritual foundation/high self-esteem. I can't imagine marrying someone I didn't truly love or could love me in return for me being me. I think it's important to find someone that creates a desire to be better.

      Nick and Amy really did end up depending on each other...or they were in it just to one up the other. But then to throw kids in the mix??? Mmmm...not my cup of tea.

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    3. Yeah! Throwing kids in to their toxic brew is a scary thought. I mean staying with someone because u fear they will kill u or better yet u and your child is insane. Also, what juice box was Desi drinking from? How could he even begin to reason it was good to get with Amy after he found out she was willing to frame her husband for murder? What the hell was he on? I mean he already knew she trumped up charges on him stalking her?

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    4. U said: "These screwd up relationships/people have no spiritual foundation/high self-esteem. I can't imagine marrying someone I didn't truly love or could love me in return for me being me."

      Soooooooo true. I also believe friendships/relationships are grown over time. Meaning it takes work to cultivate. People who want returns without putting in any investment to get to know someone and want something for nothing can't be relied on when things get tough IMO. That to me is what happened to Nick and Amy after they lost their jobs and she lost her money they had nothing to pull from to help each other get out of the trench. I mean to expect Nick to respect her because she paid for the bar made him into a prostitute not a husband or partner. Why didn't they select a business venture they could both enjoy growing and developing? So that all the stress to succeed wasn't all on him? Gosh I can go on and on. Hahaha!

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  2. LB-I admire u for admitting u once tried to be the "cool girl" most women won't admit to it. Today it seems women are so desperate and not willing to draw clear ground rules/boundaries in the beginning because they are scared a guy will leave. But like u said it really requires a women to know who she is, what she wants and what she will and will not tolerate in a relationship.

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  3. What was up with Amy's crazy passive aggressive parent's?

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    1. seriously! i felt like there were more stories to be told. They really were PA, weren't they? It's like she was just good for her money.

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    2. Yes, she and her parents were PA. Amy, needing to play GOD by needing to punish people and get revenge etc... Is such a waste of brain cells IMO. I mean yeah sure u think it would be nice to play the judge and jury of someone who screwed u over but in the end think of all the negative energy u pend reliving how they screwed u over instead of just moving on? I just don't get the logic behind revenge or holding a grudge?

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    3. Another thing Amy was so hell bent on getting her way and trying to be perfect that she actually becomes even worse than the very person she despises in Nick. I really like the irony Gillian sets up for the reader here.

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    4. Plus, I leave revenge to God he is much better at it than I am, why should I get in his way.

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  4. OB,

    What do you think of the cast?

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    1. Good question. I can see Ben Affleck as Nick. At first i was a bit skeptical but now I can see it. The person playing Amy? Hmmm! That's hard to picture because like u I've seen too little of her work. Neil Patrick Harris as Desi? That is great.

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  5. LB- Don't u think her parents were responsible for reducing Amy to believing her only value was her looks and socio economic status?

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  6. LB- We've talked about the "cool girl." Do u think there are "cool guy's" if so can u describe them?

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  7. What did u think of the ending? I like the fact both characters did not fair too well. Nick will live in fear he will get murdered for his role in ticking off a sociopath wife. However Amy did not get Nick's respect or love in the end either. Do u think this was a reasonable unexpected conclusion to avoid the predictable happy ending syndrome?

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  8. What I loved about this book was the issue of judging a person's guilt or innocence through public opinion. It's scary to think reality television has influenced our judicial system that we are deciding a persons innocence or guilt through, facebook, twitter and youtube videos. Who needs evidence or due process when u can watch sensational media 24/7. SCARY!!!

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    1. As much as I am fond of modern technology, I do think it has destroyed and tainted due process. Not like our judicial system was flaw free before, but it makes it so much worse. Seriously, where can you get a fair trial? and it's very difficult not to show bias when reporting or tweeting everything.

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