My Review: Gone Girl (9/10)

"What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What have we done to each other? What will we do?"

David Fincher has exceeded my high expectations once again with this brilliant thriller starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. I have so many things to say about Gone Girl that I simply don't know where to begin. First of all, anyone who loves movies knows how stylish Fincher's films are and how meticulous he is with each project. He creates interesting characters and he knows how to set the right mood for his films. In Gone Girl he does just that creating a tense and moody thriller which all of a sudden switches gears on us with unexpected twists and genre shifts. In one moment you are watching a suspenseful thriller and then all of a sudden you find yourself laughing at the dark humor presented in the story with each new dark revelation. It is a unique experience for the audience and I enjoyed every second of its 150 minute runtime. It is very close to being another masterpiece from Fincher, although Se7en and Fight Club still remain my favorite from his rich filmography. Bringing back his usual collaborators for the musical score, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, also played a key role in the success of this film which helped improve the mood to an already suspenseful and eerie atmosphere. Jeff Croneweth's cinematography also stands out in Gone Girl making every shot gorgeous to look at. The film is also perfectly edited, but that is something I will mention in the next paragraph when I credit the narrative structure of the movie. Fincher doesn't disappoint for one second and treats the audience to a wickedly entertaining film with several disturbing ideas exploring new grounds with the thriller genre. It is a must see for all film lovers out there.

I've given David Fincher a lot of credit for his work because he is one of the most talented directors in Hollywood right now, but I also have to give praise to Gillian Flynn's wonderful screenplay adaptation of her own novel because it is outstanding. A lot of the success this film is receiving is due to the wonderful narrative structure Gone Girl has. The way it is presented in non-linear fashion is beautifully paced together. The first half of this film begins like your ordinary forensic mystery investigation where you try to guess what may have happened or what motives were behind the disappearance of the female lead character. As the investigation goes on, we get flashbacks narrated by this missing person where she explains how she met her husband and how everything unravelled after those first few years of marriage where everything seemed perfect. The less you know about this film before going into it, the more you are surprised by it. I am glad I hadn't read the novel before because it was a pleasure to experience how the narrative structure of the film unfolded before me with every twist and shift of tone. Flynn has written a crazy novel which plays out as a satire and a social commentary on marriage and the effect the media has on public perception. It is a story about perceptions and how we put on masks to pretend we are something we aren't in front of others. It has a few things to say about marriage and how couples try to change each other or pretend to be something they aren't in order to win the other's affection. As you watch Gone Girl you can't help but imagine how much fun Fincher and Flynn were having as they dissected some common problems couples have in marriage. Of course everything is overblown in this satire and you will find yourself laughing at several of the situations presented (especially in the second half of the film), but it does have an underlying message and a purpose. I thought it was quite a witty commentary on marriage and society, and for that I have to give Flynn credit for the wonderful story she has written, and of course Fincher takes advantage of that and creates a stylized and fun trashy film that is beautifully shot and edited.

When you go into a Fincher film you know you will get great performances out of him because he brings the best out of his actors. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike are superb in the lead roles. He is perfect as this enigmatic husband who is lacking empathy in the publics eyes. Pike gives an icy and memorable performance as her character is hard to decipher at first and our perception of her shifts as the movie moves on. She is simply great. As much as I enjoyed the lead performances, I have to say that what really surprised me here were the secondary actors. Who would have thought that Tyler Perry could have pulled off his role as the charismatic lawyer so well. He has several funny scenes and he was a great addition. My favorite performance in this film came from Carrie Coon (who I really like in The Leftovers series) who plays Affleck's twin sister. She had some strong dramatic scenes and had great on screen chemistry with Affleck. I hope she receives a nomination for her role here because she absolutely pulled it off. Kim Dickens who plays the detective in charge of the investigation was also great. These were all interesting characters who played key roles in the success of this moody thriller. Many people complained about Neil Patrick Harris's performance, but I think the main issue I had with him wasn't his performance, but his character. There are also some over the top violent scenes that didn't work too well, but for a satire Fincher pulls it off just fine because he knows that this is an exaggerated pulpy film and lets the audience have fun with it. Gone Girl was one of my most anticipated films for 2014, and after watching it I have to say it exceeded my expectations; I had a crazy fun time with it and it deserves all the praise it's getting.

My Review: Fight Club (10/10)

"The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club"

I will go ahead and break the rule and simply talk about Fight Club; the 1999 film that I recently added to my favorite movie list. In my opinion this is one of Fincher`s masterpieces along with Se7en. David Fincher has made some great films, but none have ever rivaled his work in the 90`s with these two films. Both Se7en and Fight Club are among my favorite films and consider them superior to Fincher`s other great recent films like Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Fight Club is an extremely violent film, but I don’t think it`s gratuitous because the movie really works as a satire and raises several philosophical questions about how enslaved we`ve become under the capitalist and advertising system, but it also points out the danger of anarchy as well. We`ve become materialist beings finding our purpose in our possessions and have left out the spiritual part. Sometimes we need to feel pain to remind ourselves that we are alive, and in a way this film works as a highly crafted metaphor. I loved the way the story was presented and how this surrealistic film worked. Based on Chuck Palahniuk`s novel of the same name, and adapted for the screen by Jim Uhls, Fight Club is a masterpiece thanks to Fincher`s direction and the performance from the excellent cast which includes Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helen Bonham Carter. I really loved this movie from beginning to end, including the twist in the final act. 1999 was the year of great twists considering this is when The Sixth Sense was released as well (my all time favorite film). Fight Club is a must see film for all.

The movie begins with a scene where the narrator (Edward Norton) has a gun forced down his throat by Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), to which the narrator begins to tell the viewer what has led him to this point through voice over narration, and so the film is told in flashback. He takes us back to the days when he was an office worker who experienced severe insomniac problems. The doctor recommended that he visit a support group with men who have suffered from testicular cancer in order for him to really see the pain other people have gone through. Despite not suffering from this condition, the narrator decides to do so and discovers that going to these therapies allows him to finally being able to sleep for the first time in months. After this, he decides to attend a different support group every night and everything seems to go well, until he discovers a manic depressive woman named Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) who is doing the same thing he`s been doing: jumping from one support group to another. Seeing her as an intruder and a liar, the narrator can no longer find peace in the support groups and so his insomniac problems begin again. His life will change dramatically when he meets Tyler Durden, a soap maker, in an airplane and has an interesting conversation with him. They exchange numbers and when the narrator arrives home from the airport he discovers his condo has been blown up. He then decides to call Tyler and ends up moving in with him at an old abandoned complex. The two start a very different support group which they call Fight Club since they have to fight one another. The movement becomes popular and little by little they begin to form a revolutionary movement known as Project Mayhem, but things begin to escalate too fast and dangerously.  

Edward Norton appeared in the big movie screen during the 90`s and this was when he made his best films (American History X, Primal Fear, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Rounders, and Fight Club), although I would have to argue that his best performances were in American History X and The 25<sup>th</sup> Hour. However he is still excellent in this film as well. Brad Pitt is at his best playing the sort of chaotic and anarchic character who in some ways is similar to the narrator, but in others very different and more dangerous. He has a strong pull on Norton`s character and influences him deeply. Helena Bonham Carter also plays one of her best roles as this sort of manic-depressive character who stands her own ground in this mostly male dominated film. The performance from the cast is one of the best things about Fight Club which works in every level. The visuals and special effects are also fantastic. It is a dark film with a lot of violence mixed with satire that had me laughing quite a bit. I absolutely loved this movie and the ending was just brilliant.

  

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My Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (9/10)

¨You will be investigating thieves, misers, bullies. The most detestable collection of people that you will ever meet - my family.¨

The American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has finally arrived and it was as good as I expected it to be considering David Fincher was at the helm of the project. Fincher has made some excellent movies and this one will rank among my favorites along with Seven, Zodiac, The Social Network and Fight Club. I really wasn’t a big fan of having this movie remade since I considered the Swedish version was great, but when I heard Fincher was going to direct it, I didn’t doubt going to see it. I was hooked from the beginning although I expected this movie was probably not going to be as dark as the original. I was surprised this Hollywood production actually went to those dark places the original one did and that the Lisbeth Salander character was played so well by Rooney Mara. The best thing about the Swedish version was Noomi Rapace`s performance as the girl with the dragon tattoo, but in this film Rooney Mara really performs at the same level and reaches that same intensity bringing to life once again one of the most memorable female roles I`ve seen. The movie is not easy to watch, it has some dark and raw scenes, but the story is so well written and Fincher`s direction is just brilliant that it makes the film worth seeing all over again despite haven seen the original films or read the Millennium novels by Larsson. Despite knowing what was going to happen I really enjoyed the performances, the scenery, and the sound editing of this film. It might not be better than the Swedish film, but it does live up to it and perhaps now a broader American audience will actually become familiar with this bestselling novel. I still recommend the three original Swedish versions as well. 

Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a journalist who works for Millennium magazine in Sweden and has recently been sued by a business tycoon named Hans-Erik Wennerstrom (Ulf Friberg) for libel against him. The truth is that Blomkvist has been framed and the proof he had against Wennerstrom was false so he loses a lot of money in the lawsuit. It`s during this time that he receives a job proposition from Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), a former CEO of the Vanger group, who lives in an isolated island along with the rest of the members of the wealthy family. Henrik has hired Mikael because he wants him to investigate what happened to his disappeared niece, Harriet, who he believes has been murdered by someone in his family forty years ago, although police officers haven`t been able to find any clues over the years. The reason Henrik hasn`t given up looking for the killer is that every year on his birthday he receives a portrait with a flower as a gift from different parts of the world that he presumes is from the killer. He says that the killer has to be someone from the family because there was an accident on the bridge the day Harriet disappeared and no one could get in or out of the island on that day so it couldn`t be an outsider. Henrik`s brothers were all Nazi sympathizers during the War and he suspects any of them could be the killer. Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is a computer hacker who is pretty good at what she does, but is a very troublesome teenager who has very poor social skills. She dresses like a punk, has several piercings, and a dragon tattoo on her back. She was hired by Henrik to follow Mikael during the trial and make sure he was clean. When Mikael asks for an investigator to help him solve the mystery, they recommend her to him and they begin working together forming an unlikely alliance. They soon discover however that digging up the past could bring them trouble.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has several good things going for it beginning with the excellent story written by Larson. It has a lot of suspense and thrills, it works better than most mystery films. Zaillian really does a great job with the adaptation of the novel. The second thing it has going for it are excellent characters and good actors playing them. Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard are all excellent in this film and they have rich and memorable characters to interpret. Lisbeth Salander has to be one of the best female characters I`ve seen in an action film in a long time. Her side story is a nice compliment to the murder investigation, and in the next two sequels the film shifts its focus mainly back to her. I still think this first novel is better than the next two so I don`t expect the next movies to be as good as this one (at least that’s how they played out in the Swedish films). The cinematography in this film is also great, setting the dark tone of the film. The film has recently been nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Cinematography and a Best Actress nod for Rooney Mara. I think it got snubbed for a Best Picture nomination (it was better than some of the movies nominated). This isn’t a movie for everyone: it is dark, it has some strong scenes (a difficult to watch rape scene), but it is a well made thriller and among the best films of the year.

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My Review: The Social Network (9/10)

¨You know what's cooler than a million dollars? A billion dollars.¨

How in the world do you make a two hour film about the invention of facebook and make it an engaging thriller? The answer is pretty simple: get David Fincher to direct the film and Aaron Sorkin to write the screenplay. Fincher is one of the best modern day directors who seems to turn everything he touches into gold. I don`t think I was alone in the opinion that making a movie about Facebook was a bad idea. I just thought it would be impossible to keep the viewers interested for two hours on a computer nerd; at most it would be decent material for a short film. But once I heard Fincher was involved with the project I totally bought into the idea. Fincher has proved himself with such great films as Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and Benjamin Button; and with the Social Network he has created one of the best modern biopics I have seen. He will surely be nominated for best director, and the film will also garnish several other nominations, including best picture.

Sorkin (A Few Good Men, Charlie Wilson`s War) should also be credited for the success of the film because his screenplay was perfect (it will also be nominated for best adapted screenplay, you can count on it). He creates such great characters that are far from being one-dimensional. You have Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg from Zombieland and Adventureland fame) who is sort of a jerk, incapable of being social, a real intelligent and arrogant guy, but who you end up routing for because let’s face it he invented facebook one of our favorite vices on the internet. The guy may not have any social skills, but he is a genius and there is always something attractive about geniuses. We can forgive him because he is just so wicked smart, but I don`t think any one of us would want to be his friends or much less stand anyone like that. His only friend, Eduardo Saverin (played by Andrew Garfield, the soon to be Peter Parker in the new Spider Man franchise) is also a student in Harvard who seems to be the only person who stands Mark even though he is treated cruelly at times, but he is good at keeping his composure and hiding his emotions. Eduardo and Mark found the company Thefacebook.com together which begins exclusively for Harvard students but begins to spread to other schools. Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake) hears about the website and arranges a meeting with Mark and Eduardo foreseeing the potential the site has. Sean happens to be the inventor of Napster, and unlike Mark he is very social and expressive. The characters seem to complement each other, and it all works to perfection.

The film is non linear as we jump back and forth from Harvard to the law suits that Mark is going through once he has become a billionaire. He is being sued by his best friend Eduardo (which makes the viewer wonder what has gone wrong with their relationship) and on the other hand by the Winklevoss twin brothers who actually suggested the idea for an exclusive Harvard site and claim Mark stole it from them. Mark was always obsessed about getting into Final Clubs in College and when the twin brothers came to him with the idea about a Harvard exclusive site everything clicked for him. He could be the president of his own exclusive site. He was a visionary and everything paid off for him: ¨ We lived in farms, then we lived in cities, and now we're gonna live on the internet! ¨

The Social Network is a modern day biopic full of thrills thanks to a great script and a good performance from the cast (especially by Andrew Garfield). The score is also great and contributes to the overall story, as well as the filming which is just brilliant. The rowing scenes were beautifully shot, but they weren`t just there for artistic purposes. The entire rowing scenario with the twins was sort of a parable of how they were used to being first all the time. When they finally lose to the Dutch they realize that being second brings no reward. Zuckerberg beat them at coming up with the idea for Facebook, perhaps a little unethically on his part, but the difference between being first and second in the business world is gigantic no matter how tight the race is. Fincher has directed a great film and will probably get a lot of recognition during award season because he was able to transmit the importance of our modern day internet age. Fincher should be considering making a sequel to this film about the founders of Twitter; nah maybe that is a really bad idea. Anyway The Social Network is my favorite biopic this year and finally brought down The Runaways to second place. It`s all about being first, that’s what makes the difference.

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