Gone Girl

          Meticulously directed by David Fincher and adapted for the screen by author Gillian Flynn, this is a very faithful version of the best-selling novel and will surely satisfy fans of the book. Having read the book and hated the ending, I found the film's end much more tolerable. It's still not to my liking but it does have a certain logic that works better on screen.

           The film, for those few who never read the book, examines the marriage of Nick and Amy Dunne and starts out when Amy vanishes on their fifth anniversary. We learn through Nick's behavior, flashbacks and Amy's voice-overs, how they met and how their love for each other is repeatedly tested. There are multiple twists and turns (the same ones that made the book so much fun) and the film unfolds as "Scenes From A Marriage" as if it was written and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

           The casting could not be any better. Ben Affleck and Roseamund Pike make the perfect Nick and Amy. Both of them possess a cool detachment that works brilliantly in their favor. Their co-stars,  Carrie Coon and Kim Dickens are both terrific and Tyler Perry is surprisingly good as Nick's lawyer. Even Neal Patrick Harris in a small but pivotal role is very well cast.

           David Fincher's  style is perfect for this story. His direction enhances the same icy atmosphere created by his stars. The overall mood is hard, cold, and slick as ice. While the setting is completely different, you can almost imagine these characters inhabiting the world of Mr. Fincher's version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo".  The story line is meticulously straight which make the plot twists that much more jarring.

             "Gone Girl" is a nasty piece of business that actually makes a great date night movie. It's a story that can be debated long after it ends.