"Gone Girl", the reality show for perfect couples

Gone Girl

I have to praise David Fincher. He is one of the few "BIG" directors (meaning accepted by Hollywood) with a real ambition, a will of doing "something else" with blockbusters. 'Gone Girl' aims to subvert crime genre boundaries, something he has achieved previously with fascinating results (see 'Zodiac' by far his best movie if you ask me), in a bold and brave attempt. But this time, imo, the overall result is, sadly, disappointing.

The story of the Dunnes, the perfect couple of Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) is umm... a bit annoying from the very beginning, but I'm not saying that as a criticism. I'm pretty sure Fincher wants to portray them as cliche-bounded (oh, two more young, handsome, NYC smart writers taken from a Tommy Hilfiger ad) so as the story unfolds while Amy goes missing the scars on their five year marriage keep appearing they look like gigantic cracks.

Of course, all suspicions point out to Nick. Here's a very interesting take on media (in particular to the ubiquitous and obnoxious programs of "social concern") and their role of social commentators, transforming what it should be a dramatic situation into a reality show. Fincher is telling us there's a reality clash between the image your portray to the others (here exaggerated to the extreme, as the others is that blurred concept of public opinion) and the one behind the doors of your home. Which is the important one? Unfortunately, the first one (the war was lost quite a long ago).

So far so good, you'll say. But the problem is Fincher completely looses the point, and the focus. It's clear he is not interested in presenting us a solid, convincing crime story, but that's exactly what the narrative of the screenplay (penned by Gillian Flynn, the book's author) is supposed to be. So why the lame work on that side? I get it David, after the story big twist arrives (no spoilers) it's all a GREAT FARCE, but the resorts you used are weak to the point of being ludicrous. Fincher seems to be saying us: "laugh with me, because the characters are all insane. Marriage is insane. Violence is insane. Oh, wait, all is insane, see?" Sure David, but then, why do you need me to stay for 149 minutes watching this, at times, serious nonsense? When Amy's story gets the lead, the film is not only unbeliavable. The plotholes an unbalances abound to an unbearable extent for such an experienced director. My God, I can't remember a more absurd character than the one played by Neil Patrick Harris' (not his fault, he does what he can with the material), unless its a fierce satire against How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson...

Reading the majority of the critics general praise I agree with the assertions on the movie weirdness, twisted, dark-humorous, stylised visual package. Pretty ok too with the opinions saying the two main actors gave their best... And as I said in the first paragraph, I salute Fincher's riskiness. But to me, 'Gone Girl' is not a thrilling ride, not even a satisfactory farce on marriage, fame, public opinion and rubbish TV... To me it's closer to 'Fatal Attraction', 'Basic Instinct' and, occasionally, not that far away from all the terrible TV-movies you can see in Spain any Sunday afternoon.  

SCORE: 4,75/10

Ignoreland

This blog is not supposed to be politically-charged, so I assure you this will not be repeated frequently and I apologise in advance for this rant. But I do need to let this out. During the week, my job has been affected dramatically by some situations that, in my opinion, reflects what kind of world we have created and accepted to live in.

1. One of my main tasks is organizing activities for the youth. So a group of students from Nigeria applied and were accepted. But right now their participation seems unlikely due to the visas issue. Its a shame that Spain presumes of its development aid policies and how much is involved within the UN, while they treat some people (basically from African countries) as trash. The delegates, well prepared and with a record of several experiences around Europe were rejected for economic reasons. But I do wonder what economic reasons do an embassy need when the group were able to present a medical insurance receipt, letters of support from their university and their student association, a statement of financial support from their local government, the proof of an already booked (meaning paid) hotel and diplomas of participation in a previous activity organised by us. 
No, it is clear what the motto is for the Spanish embassies when they face a young African candidate. And that is not only regrettable. It becomes miserable when they are capable of asking for money for a process that everybody knows in advance will end in a rejection.

2. Another sad lesson learnt during the last days has been how far and despicable one person can be if that serves their purposes. I'm aware I live in a country where the extreme right, and even the church, has their own media channels, where they fuel hatred, everyday. But it goes well beyond my understanding why someone can use a lie, knowing that's completely false, and keep going with it. But it seems common in Spain. You don't like something, or you need to attack someone, use "the flag issue" and repeat it until the end of times. You'll create enough white noise to succeed in a second. But attacking six years of hard work and an interest to build an activity that has brought nearly a thousand of students from all over the world (which includes all parts of Spain of course), just for the sake of stealing and copying, just proves how miserable that person or association is. Make no mistake, those who won the war, long time ago, are still winning.

3. And finally, and linked with point 2, the media. When I was student, not that long ago, faculties of journalism still presented their profession as a noble duty. But looking to the media in Spain one can only moan about when that role started to disappear. Now its just about enterprises deciding what are "the news" following their own interests. So when the guys on point 2 presented false information, did the media took the time to contrast it? Not at all. So, for everyone who wishes to see it, there it is, a flagrant and miserable lie.

I live in "Ignoreland".

As the Fab Four from Athens said, "I know that this is vitriol. No solution, spleen venting, But I feel better having screamed. Don't you?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9CL7FdZFFw

Thank you