bootsy

If you couldn't care less you wouldn't be commenting on it like you are.

Guru Askew

Gone Girl? More like Dong Girl, am I right? Except for the fact that Ben Affleck is apparently a very well-endowed man and not a girl of course.

inri222

I would put The Game above Panic Room, Alien 3, Dragon Tattoo & Ben Button.

Guru Askew

I think The Game's status as the red-headed stepchild of his filmography is deserved actually. Of his post-Alien3 filmography it undoubtedly has the least-relatable and poorly-realized characters. Panic Room runs circles around it in that respect and I feel it's also just far more effective as a thriller. I think I've seem Panic Room twice, the last time being when the 3-DVD edition came out, and it's easier for me to remember characters and scenes in it than it is to remember stuff from watching The Game less than a year ago on Blu.

Fincher was also in danger of getting pigeonholed as a Shyamalon-esque twist ending hack after Seven, The Game and Fight Club but the other two are gimmicky high-concept scripts at their finest. I don't really even think people would really be talking about The Game in 2014 if not for the rest of his filmography dragging it along.

Dr. DVD

Does this have the potential to be a contender in the awards season? It's reviews seem to indicate some buzz, but sometimes bad ticket sales can impact that perception. Strange, since ticket sales don't really change the content of the movie critics rave about before it tanks.

rocket1312

Whatever. I couldn't care less what the capital of Iowa is, but I still know it's Des Moines.

OldBoy

The Game is fucking brilliant.

bootsy

OK

rocket1312

The point is that one can have information or insight on a given subject without caring one way or another about it. But whatever, I'm pretty sure you're not actually interested in anything anyone here has to say.

Sort of back on topic...I need to revisit The Game, but I'm pretty sure I would put it ahead of Panic Room in Fincher's canon. I have a strong aversion to Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, but despite that I thought it was a pretty emotionally gut wrenching film. I really think it comes down to whether or not the ending works for you. If you see it as an implausible cop out, the film ultimately doesn't have much to offer besides some well crafted thrills. If you see it, in all of it's absurdity, as a comment on the very themes and ideas that the film is trying to express, then I think it elevates the whole show. I think I'm in the latter camp, but like I said, I need to give it another spin.

Either way though, I thought Benjamin Button was considered Fincher's red-headed step child?

Artman

Just watched The Game last night actually - it's a redemption story, which is why I've always liked it. Would it really be an enjoyable movie if it ended the way some people wanted? GWTDT just didn't have anything or anyone likeable in it, so for me it's my least fav Fincher film.

james2025a

I always had a lot of love for The Game, but i re-watched it recently and for the first time i didn't enjoy it as much. I remember going to see it on its original theatrical release and was sat in an almost empty room opening weekend. It was one of those movies i tried telling people to check out as it was very good. It is standing the test of time pretty well, but it just felt like it was dragging a little this time when i watched it. I saw it with a couple of friends visiting from England and we also watched Conan the Barbarian after and felt we all felt the same about that as well. Still both great movies, and well made.

BambooLounge

Saw Gone Girl last night and it didn't disappoint, but didn't exceed expectations either. This, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is Fincher on cruise control. So, if you enjoyed his last film, you'll enjoy this one just as much I imagine.

Another cold, clinical, dark feast of technical precision from Fincher with another great Reznor score, but there is not much in the way of dramatic action. The narrative of the film, much like the novel, is pretty much wholly derivative of Hitchcock, but without the emotional intelligence of the equally derivative Stoker.

Pike does her best Anthony Perkins as the calm "perfect" sociopath and Ben Affleck's lack of acting ability is finally worked to his advantage. Hilarious high point of the film is seeing Affleck getting pelted with gummi bears by Tyler Perry for essentially bad line readings (lawyer prepping client to speak).

Gone Girl is not a bad movie, but it's not a great movie either. Fans of the novel (I was lukewarm on the novel, but enjoyed it as well) should enjoy the film. Although, the subtly changed third act will probably feel like a bit of an emotional brightening of a still very, but not quite as, cynical narrative viewpoint.

Go see it, but if you haven't already seen them, you should also watch Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Stoker at a minimum to see similar themes explored with more skill and depth.

PS: Since I've seen it widely reported...the Affleck full frontal is not " full," it is a "partial off to the side, lower corner of the screen" blink or focus on the predominant visual information and you'll miss it" frontal (well, at least I did). You will not miss Neil Patrick Harris' frontal moment as the character is center frame during that particular scene. So, there you go interested ladies and gentlemen. For those who really want to see all of the next Batman, here is a guide:

http://www.vulture.com/2014/10/how-t...gone-girl.html

RichC2

Stoker wasn't emotionally intelligent at all, or maybe the stilted acting just made it seem like it wasn't.

BambooLounge

Not to get too off topic, but I think Stoker took the standard thriller sociopathic lead/Hitch homage thing and used it to tell a larger story about a family dealing with a child who some members of the family knew to be a danger to others (the father at least). The emotional conflict of a father trying to express his love for a daughter and brother he ultimately knows he should fear. So, you're watching a film that's still highly derivative tonally, but it is exploring something a little deeper. In regard to the father-daughter relationship, I remember it seeming really poignant at the time since it came out relatively soon (maybe a few months?) after Sandy Hook if I'm getting my timeline right.

I think the acting wasn't so much stilted as it was what tends to pass as "sociopathic" on screen now (Mia's character and her uncle). In other words, the characters were stilted more so than the acting. This could also be applied to Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl as well.

Mr. Cinema

I definitely think this will be one of the BP nominees. Along with Fincher, and probably Gillian Flynn, who wrote both the novel and screenplay. Rosamund Pike is getting a lot of praise as well so she could land an Actress nomination. The predictions are looking like a $30+ mil opening, which is pretty solid for a 145 minute R-rated drama/thriller.

mattysemo247

I didn't realize how much of this movie was shot at my old college town until I recently saw the trailer. Really cool seeing those locations again, especially in a Fincher film. The wife and I are going to have to get a sitter and check this one out soon.

Throwing Copper

Oh yeah, it was all the talk around Cape for a while last year. I believe they just had a little premiere there last night as well.

Dr. DVD

If anything else, the surefire nomination should go to Carrie Coon. She was brilliant. Thought I did like Pike's


Saw it. I have read the novel, and I thought this was a really good adaptation. However, if you didn't read or like the novel, I could totally understand why you wouldn't think it was great. The script is 100% Flynn, but the style is 100% Fincher. If you just like to watch movies with Fincher's style , then that might be good enough reason to go see it. I personally liked it a lot. Reznor's knocked it out of the park with his score; gave it a total haunted house feel even if it wasn't a spooky scene. I really don't get all of the hate on Affleck the actor. I think he's more than capable nowadays(emphasis on nowadays), and played the role well.

I'm not going to spoil the ending but,

BambooLounge

Re: the ending

OldBoy

anyone know how much the production budget for this movie was? i only took a guess with $70m...

Solid Snake

The budget was $61 million.

OldBoy

@SolidSnake thanks.

IIG

I hated this movie. I thought it had plenty of strong performances, some worthy of Oscar consideration (particularly Kim Dickens and Carrie Coon), but the movie was so preposterous that their efforts felt wasted to me. I can't remember the last time I felt as dissatisfied leaving the theater. But I realize I'm in a small minority, and everyone in my group was gushing over it and wanting to discuss every detail afterwards. Me? I just wanted to forget about it. I deserved every miserable moment though, because I ignored two known facts: I'm far from a fan of David Fincher, and I pretty much find most modern day novels shitty, and likewise their film adaptations. I'm frightened for PT Anderson's next project now.

Solid Snake

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My Other Self

Go tweet somewhere else.