Ben Affleck’s chin isn’t lying about murdering his wife.
The bestseller turned motion picture is one of the most highly anticipated films of the fall season. That may be because Gone Girl, the book, was the kind of smartly written thriller that gave us complex characters with personalities that were equal parts deplorable and beguiling. There were no saints here. Everyone showcased their fair share of human stain and it was riveting. What it all boiled down to was a matter of figuring out which person was capable of the more heinous acts, and which was merely a victim of circumstance. And what, in the case of Gone Girl, that really meant.
Now enters Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as the titular characters and married couple, Nick and Amy Dunne. Pike, perhaps best known as Queen Andromeda in Wrath of the Titans (yes, seriously), has the difficult task of pulling off the many Eve(s) of Amy Dunne. The trailer doesn’t give us much; just a snapshot of what looks like mostly flashback scenes depicting the obviously troubled marriage of the Dunnes. She’s blonde and photogenic. All crisp edges and hard eyes, looking for all the world like the typical suburban housewife. A healthy, pony-tail bobbing, tub soaking, dine-out kind of girl. At this point in the trailer succession, Amy isn’t so important — but oh, she so is. We expect as time grinds closer to fall we’ll see more of Amy.
What’s important here is Nick, and more importantly, what Affleck — two-time Oscar winner who’s had major success in writing and telling stories — can do with a character that’s more than a one-note. Some were already less than enthused Affleck won the part. He does have a tendency to be wooden. He can be a bit off-putting with his jutting chin and hard-scrabble delivery that doesn’t always convey sincerity. The character of “Nick” is one that depends much more on the subtle nuances and psychological gameplay that affects this character right down to his shoelaces, and one that should be showcased more expertly than any prior boiled down Affleck appearance which relied heavily on one-off impassioned speeches the actor/director has delivered.
While the “novel Nick” does most of his emoting internally, it’s the inner monologue that drives him and threatens to consume him. Will Affleck be able to convey the careening tumble of emotions that are at the center of this character? That’s the important question. Some of it does come down to just how charming and believable Affleck is. We’re a little wary given his previous starring roles have been hit or miss. Remember Jersey Girl, Paycheck, and Gigli? This is interesting, and will ultimately be a challenge, because that’s what most of the story is about — how believable is Nick? Funnily, it could be said that if Affleck plays Nick badly, you could still justify it and say, “Well, Nick is supposed to be really bad at acting anyway.”
We’re sure that’s not what Affleck will want you to take away from this. What we believe he’s hoping is that he will finally get a chance to showcase the darker, edgier part of himself. The part that knew just how to paint the characters in his own director-helmed films, Gone Baby Gone, and The Town. Yet, can he be a Jeremy Renner, or a Hugh Jackman who had to reach into a darker place beyond X-Men‘s Wolverine or Les Misérables‘ Jean Valjean, to play Keller Dover in Prisoners last year? This role like that one will be all on Affleck to sell us on who Nick Dunne is, after all, it’s his story.
For those of you who enjoyed the book…well, until the end, natch, author Gillian Flynn confirms that the film will deviate from the novel. However, a lot will hinge on director, David Fincher’s (Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network) vision.
Gone Girl is due for release on October 3, 2014.
