*No Spoilers*
Book Author: Gillian
Flynn
Film Director: David Fincher
Film Screenplay:
Gillian Flynn
Gillian Flynn, you
brilliant, brilliant writer!
First of all, I have to
say it was just such an immense pleasure to read the book. On the top of that,
I am so glad that Flynn was able to negotiate the screenplay writing for
herself and Fincher and she worked this out as cohesively as they have. Usually,
comparing a movie to its book is a bad idea. Very rarely (I only have one
example), comparing a book to the movie is regretted. Though, this one does not
disappoint. Moreover, I feel pretty satisfied having read the book and seen the
movie and getting to comment on both because job well done, you, Gillian Flynn,
you!
The book may not be
delicious when you begin reading, but really, you have to see what she's doing.
When you picked up the book from the Mystery/Thriller section, and *hopefully*
read the preview, you know the basic plot is that Amy disappears. Then, when
you begin reading the book, I find it particularly interesting how Flynn sets
the scene in anecdotes, morning time, event of the day, which sets our mind thinking
of places, reasons, possibilities and motive already. It tickles our imagination
and curiosity all the more. It could have been Amy's dissatisfaction with the
place, or with the ambiguity their marriage was running into, or finding misery
in a life ruined by recession; ANYTHING! All said and done, it's nothing you
don't want to read. It's written well, too. In all probability, if you're
wondering where she's going with this, it's in a good way.
The trailer is cryptic
and I still cannot decide if I like it. I could not make anything out of the
trailer. There's just a lot happening. Please visit the website, then. I shall
be surprised if you tell me you don't love it. It's fresh and informative. It
got me excited.
Quick word about the
score of the film. IMDb says Fincher's directives to Trent Reznor and Atticus
Ross was that he wants the music to seem passive and relaxing but really,
should instill a sense of dread. It did. For me, it was this close to becoming
a horror movie closer to real life than so many jokes in the name of horror
movies.
Let's jump right in,
now.
The book and movie are
absolutely gripping. Even when the mystery begins to unfold, it's not over till
it's over. Flynn fills details in her book and gives each character, depth,
rationale and each situation has intricate layers. She does not hold back and
cuts portions of her book such that the movie makes for a gripping watch. While,
some insightful details are left out, they don't compromise on the intensity
and riddle of the plot. Impressive. It would not really be nitpicking, though,
when I argue that some nuances to the character, especially Amy, are lost in
this cut-down of the book for screenplay. The whole 'cool girl' explanation,
logical reasoning behind Amy's actions, her temptation to go back, and comparison
between Desi and Nick make everything so much more fascinating. I am aware of
the gender-based criticism and I'm not getting into all that. Taking Amy as a
person, I think she had psychopathic tendencies and the fact that there was a
convincing logic behind it intrigues me, albeit the logic is ruined by her
extremities and the caveat of having Nick's narrative giving her away. Without
all of this, the film still gets you glued to the screen but Amy emerges as
different from that in the book; here, she isn't so much of a psychotic woman.
She's just what Nick says she is- fucking bitch. There are no layers, no genius
intellect to Amy outside of her almost-impeccable planning and no probable root
of cause for the viewer to come up with for her behaviour (which the film does
show to be a pattern). Rosamund Pike nails it, though. You can like her as fast
as you can hate her as fast as you can feel scared of her as fast as you can
feel robbed of closure. Woah!
Nick Dunne gets away
with more sympathy from his viewer/reader than he really should. He's a lying, and cheating man. America hates him for it in the book/movie but admit it, in
the flow of the plot, you lost that perspective; I did too. I don't mind that
one bit. His helplessness, his adorable relationship with his twin sister, his
heart on his sleeve as he falls in love with missing Amy, cares for Andie but
not so much so we can think he's not all that bad- works. I feel sorry that
him, I do, but when the book ends I can't be sure about whether I see him as
the victim or an equal culprit or what! Ben Affleck does a fabulous job as Nick
Dunne. He's got the young, single, cute, charming act going for him. His
stress, mess-ups, and that smile that messes things up on Ellen Abbott's show.
Madam Ellen Abbott. I
understand everything about how media influences public opinion in the
film/book, how certain media persons like to be activists or campaigners of a
side, how they have a fan base of a following of sorts but I don't see how
Ellen Abbott gets to be a part of the ending of the movie. I liked the book's
ending much better. Not that does much, but featuring Ellen Abbott and giving
Nick so many lines of conversation with her is like recollecting how amazing
school life was and then ending with "Thank God! I met that xyz person on
the admission interview panel!" Seriously, what? That's a bad way to draw
a close when the book already has a better closing. All the other lawyer, media
issues were covered smoothly and satisfactorily so.
Police. I really like
how they were trying to find out the truth but really, sometimes, it was almost
like they had chosen a side. Was it the right side or the good side or the bad
side? You don't know that but you may even like them for it. They're not a
nuisance. Amusingly though, their vantage points often oscillate from being influenced
by the media coverage, to being the source of media coverage that provokes
explosive reactions. Sometimes, they're also just sitting ducks -watching
things cropping and thinking what on earth, really! With this, I know that
Flynn is giving me so many perspectives as an observer who is right in on the
scene, but never lets me know what the truth is until she decides that it is
time to let me know.
Parents. I like how
they've been included in the book but excluded in the movie. Simply because
some bits may add to the plot or character's essence but sometimes, their mention
looks pretty pointless. I wished she cut a lot more out. Surprisingly though,
Amy's character in the book is often nuanced by the impressions and affects her
parents brought to her life but really, it's all cut out and her parents are reduced
to mere props in the movie. I wonder why it was so considering the screen space
and time given to the pair.
Go, Margo. She can be
the little sister, the twin sister, the conscience, the voice of reason, and
just a needed presence for Nick Dunne. I think the character is very well done
in the book and the movie. I like Carrie Coon but I also wonder if she was just
the perfect one to cast. The role was memorable but the acting did not quite
bring a strong hold of the plot in the movie which is otherwise demanded by the
character in the book and readily given, too.
Desi Collings was an unexpected
character. Again, it does not get much time to unfold in the movie so we really
just put it all on Amy (I wouldn't mind if you did that in the book, too, but
my point is that his character in the book shows you that there's more). So he
comes in as the unexpected character in the book as much as he does in the movie and there's a difference but everything
being so interconnected, it does not make anything less interesting. Neil
Patrick Harris surprised me. When he turns away from Nick, somehow he fits the
role perfectly. Then with what happens later, he simply shows me that he is not
trying to fit into the role. Instead, the role ends up looking like it is made
for him. The grandeur of that, huh! I can now easily see him doing what Desi
does in the book, too. He can do it all, bring it!
In closing, I can only
mention that I read this book in a day and a half and I would not have taken
the extra half, had it not been one hundred per cent necessary. I watched this
movie in one go. No breaks. None. You want to let Gillian Flynn take you for
this ride and you won't have the time to criticize much because neither does
she leave many loose ends, nor do you have space to find those because you want
answers, and you want them first.
Tell me what you thought of the movie or the book!
