From Page to Screen : Gone Girl

**Warning. Contains spoilers for both the book and the movie**

Before we start can I just say that this gif perfectly sums up my experience in the cinema last night.

In case you've been living under a rock and have no idea what Gone Girl is. Here is a synopsis of the movie which has been adapted from Gillian Flynn's best selling novel:

GONE GIRL - directed by David Fincher and based upon the global bestseller by Gillian Flynn - unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife? 


 For me the casting was spot on. Affleck did a great job portraying nicks stony faced attitude throughout the early stages of Amy's disappearance. Margo was exactly as I imagined her. I don't think they could have gotten a closer match!
The star of the show was no doubt Rosamund's performance of Amy. She's incredibly beautiful while still have that glint of madness in her eye. The perfect predator.
One thing that really surprised me was how many times I laughed during the film! This little moments never happened in the book but they worked extremely well on screen.
Certain characters didn't make it into the film or had a smaller part. Tanner Bolt's wife is no where to be seen and Nick's parents only make a brief appearance. This didn't really affect the story though.
Now for the downsides.
For me what was missing from the film was the who-dunnit back and forth tension. I never really believed that Nick killed Amy. I was concerned that my knowledge of the book had swayed this opinion so I asked my mum if she had ever thought during the beginning that Nick had actually killed Amy?  Her answer, was no. In fact she never actually believed that Amy of dead at any point during the movie.
This was major for me. The main attraction of Gone Girl for me was the tension throughout the book. I genuinely thought Nick had killed her which makes the twist such a major shock.  
I felt that the antifreeze story line should have been included as it really showed Amy's psychopathic planning abilities. Same with the story of her stalker in school. 
I loved the book ending. I thought it was perfect. The movie...not so much. Amy didn't get her final word. Nicks final words in the film were nowhere near as powerful as the book.
So Should you go see Gone Girl?
100% yes. It's a great movie. No one was expecting it to be as good as the book but its great in it's own right. Even with the changes and omissions it still makes for a really entertaining watch!

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

 

Gone Girl: Your Questions Answered

For those who haven't read the book ( and don't intend to)

What the hell is wrong with Amy!?

Amy is a narcissistic sociopath. She believes she is perfect and everyone else must also think she's perfect or they will be punished. Her school friend choose some else to invite round to her house. In return Amy  throws herself down the stairs , breaking ribs and says her friend pushed her and had been stalking her. She also resents her parents. To her Amazing Amy is the daughter they wanted but didn't have.


Why did Andie do the press conference and what happened to her?
In a scene missing from the movie Nick breaks up with Andie and she bites him on the cheek. The press conference is her way of getting back at him. Afterwards she meets someone her own age and is very happy apparently.


Is Amy really pregnant? How, Nick says he never touched her?
Yes she is. She took his sperm from the fertility clinic that they had previously attended. 


What was with that Ending!?
The ending divides people. It's slightly different in the book but to me it was perfect. Nick doesn't know who he is without Amy. As she says he could never be happy with a perfect little mid western girl. As fucked up as she was, she brought out the best in him. He tried to be the best version of himself for her. This is Amy's version.
The reality is he's fucked with or without her. As in the book: If she is willing to throw herself down a stairs for a friend who chooses someone else what will she do to the fool whos dumb enough to marry her? If he left he'd never see his child. He'd never know what sort of hate she'd instill their child. The truth is that she'd probably find some way to kill him...and get away with it!

If you have any other questions leave them in the comments and i'll add them