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Gone Girl (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

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5K views 55 replies 36 participants last post by  NorthSky 
#1 · (Edited)


With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.



The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

94



Details:

Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2014
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 149 minutes
Genre: Thriller

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosemund Pike, Neal Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry
Directed by: David Fincher
Music by: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Written by: Gillian Flynn based on her novel
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: January 13, 2015


"Anything worth doing, is worth doing right"


My Take:

Directed by David Fincher and based upon the global best seller by Gillian Flynn — Gone Girl]/i] unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?


The couple at the center of the story – former New York writer Nick Dunne and his formerly “cool girl” wife Amy, now trying to make ends meet in the mid-recession Midwest – have all the sinuous outer contours of contemporary marital bliss. But on the occasion of their 5th wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing -- and those contours crack into a maze of fissures. Nick becomes the prime suspect, shrouded in a fog of suspicious behavior. Amy becomes the vaunted object of a media frenzy as the search for her, dead or alive, plays out before the eyes of a world thirsting for revelations.

Just as Nick and Amy personified the quintessential romantic match, Amy’s disappearance has all the markings of an emblematic domestic American crime. But her vanishing becomes a kind of hall of mirrors in which tantalizing and savage secrets lead to tantalizing and savage secrets. The events that unfold are thick with shocks and complications, but the questions that remain are what cut, with razor-sharp precision, to the bone: Who is Nick? Who is Amy? Who are any of us in marriages -- and a society -- built on a precarious base of projected images and disguises?

I am admittedly a fan of David Fincher’s work and as such looked forward to Gone Girl. My wife read the book and had reservations about how well its big screen adaptation would coincide. We didn’t see it theatrically and waited for its arrival on home video. The screenplay was penned by the novel’s author Gillian Flynn and as it turned out proved very faithful to the source. This is a moody and well-crafted thriller with a dark tone that speaks to social consciousness while plying with elements of mystery and suspense that assuredly lead down the rabbit hole.

I absolutely loved the two-sided narrative that is designed to build toward one end then lapses into another before coming to rest in an unsettling series of events that push the boundaries of plausibility but retain a wicked sense of dread that works so well. Gone Girl grabs hold early on and doesn’t let go until the final moments. I found the ending to be way too convenient, and quite frankly a bit ridiculous. Be that as it may, there is no denying that everything prior to that was outlandishly entertaining and a testament to the excellent performances by Ben Affleck, Rosemund Pike and David Fincher’s spot on direction.


Parental Guide:

The rating is for a scene of bloody violence, some strong sexual content/nudity, and language.


AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**



Audio: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Dynamics:
  • Low frequency effects:
  • Surround Sound presentation:
  • Clarity/Detail:
  • Dialogue Reproduction:
  • Low frequency extension * (non-rated element): NA
  • DSU Rating * (non-rated element):


Video: 100
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Resolution/Clarity:
  • Black Level/Shadow Detail:
  • Color Reproduction:
  • Fleshtones:
  • Compression:


Gone Girl comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 32 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.5 Mbps.

Shot digitally this film looks superb on Blu-ray Disc and features glossy high definition video quality that exhibits high level detail, razor sharpness and exquisite definition that brings out lifelike textures captured by the camera’s lens. Dimensional perspective has a near infinite appeal that can be visually stimulating. Close ups are noticeably refined and revealing of the subtlest details within facial features and objects within the frame. Mid-level camera pans are equally enriching and offer excellent depth and dimension. There is light, and unobtrusive sepia tone that adorns much of the film. This is intentional and in keeping with the filmmaker’s vision. Colors are appreciably delineated with natural rendering and punchy primaries that stand out among the remaining spectrum of secondary hues. Fleshtones are rendered with vivid tonality and discerning complexional depiction. Contrast is boldly applied without overstatement as it enlivens colors and drives brightly lit scenes without whitewashing detail. Blacks are gradational and deep which emboldens sequences containing a mix of light and dark elements. Detail in uneven light and darkened environments reveal visible shapes and structure that enhances depth perception. This is a pristine and reference quality presentation that looks terrific on my big screen.

The high resolution DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack features dialogue that is presented with crystal clear intonation, full bodied texture, and deep room penetration. Imaging across the front of the room is excellent as the mixture of sounds, dialogue and music is integrated with precision. The film’s score is distributed throughout the listening area which enhances presence. The music has an enriching dynamism, clarity and sweet sounding mid-range. There are moments where the track springs to life with the power of the music, a purposefully placed effect or accentuated atmospherics that place you within the scene. This is an excellent audio presentation that delivers an enriching listening experience that positively reinforces acoustic presence and aural dimension. It perfectly suits the thematic tone of the film and sounds great.


Bonus Features:
  • Audio commentary by director David Fincher
  • ”Amazing Amy Tattle Tale” Collectible Book
  • Digital HD Copy





Final Thoughts:

Directed by David Fincher and based upon the global best seller by Gillian Flynn — Gone Girl is an engaging and well executed mystery thriller that unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. It comes to Blu-ray from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring top notch high definition video, rewarding DTS-HD Master Audio sound and a disappointingly light supplemental package that consists of a collectible booklet and a worthwhile commentary track by director David Fincher. Gone Girl comes highly recommended both as a film and Blu-ray experience.






Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews



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Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV7702 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
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1 16
#3 ·
watched this Tuesday...I liked it...wasn't a huge fan of the final act...but was a good watch!
 
#13 ·
Greetings,



I'm a big David Fincher fan. Have got to check this out.
Thanks, Ralph!
Watch out for crazy women!

Another very good David Fincher movie. Thx for the review. A must have IMHO.
I just saw this as well and was totally enthralled for the first 90 minutes. I became frustrated with the last hour as it didn't resolve well for me. Well acted, filmed and paced, however.

Thanks Ralph!
Excellent review, as always, Ralph. :)
Thanks to all for your comments. This one definitely makes for excellent coffee table discussion..;)


Regards,
 
#14 ·
Great review, most seem to feel the ending was not so good , I have to agree. The movie had that fatal attraction kind of air to it, creep ed me out to be honest.

I bought my wife this novel for Xmas, she is three parts through it and really enjoying it. Hope she doesn't get any ideas . ;)
 
#17 ·
I saw it in the theater without having read the book and did not have any spoilers and enjoyed the film. I look forward to a second viewing in my HT; especially with the 100 video score.
 
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#20 ·
Very long movie. I'll pass on the BR as it would not be something I would ever watch again, but it was entertaining.
 
#21 ·
I thought Pike really delivered on this movie, Affleck not so much, I think his brother Casey is a better actor. Ben should direct more and maybe take on supporting roles. Yes I'm a Fincher fan as well, but this was among his weakest efforts yet. YMMV
 
#22 ·
Very decent movie.

Gone Girl and Nightcrawler are two of the most disturbing and unsettling movies I've ever seen.
 
#23 ·
To me this movie fell flat. Good concept, magnificent camerawork. I love Fincher. But too far fetched. I got used to good and smart police detectives who make mistakes every now and then. For sake of entertainment. But given nature of this film (haven't read the book), I was expecting some smart moves here and there from characters. Apart from main concept - there were literally none. Sigh :(
 
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#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Saw this movie with my wife in the theaters. Loved it. Good to see that the BD stands up to the movie as well. I recommend anyone who is a fan of suspense or drama check this out. The ending was a little off, but that didn't ruin the experience for us.

Oh, and, the movie gets pretty intense at one point.
 
#26 ·
I don't see how anyone could think this was a good movie. Not only was it an average movie at best it was hyped to be really good movie which made it worse as expectations were high. Saw Equalizer the next night and was far more entertained.
 
#27 ·
Being a Fincher devotee, I had high expectations for this movie. It appears I'm in the minority here, but this movie fell kinda flat for me. I didn't hate it, but I found little to like about it, especially the way it ended. And not a single character was likeable, which ground on my nerves. I'm glad I watched it once, if just to to view Fincher's trademark slick cinematography. But I won't be giving it a second viewing. One and done for me.
 
#30 ·
SPOILERS BELOW!!

Did anyone think this movie was one big cliche? We all know that Ben Affleck is terrible actor... And that is fine.

However, when my wife and I saw the Amber Frey character (from Lacy Peterson murder fame) give that ridiculous press conference and the Nancy Grace character shoe horned into the story, I completely checked out of this 2.5 hr piece of crap.

That said, one good thing did come out of this movie... I did go online and find the lingerie in the movie for my wife!
 
#32 ·
Pics or it didn't happen....:)
 
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#31 ·
Usually David Fincher uses great music scores in all his films; so I'm surprised a little here to see 88 for the Audio score.
{Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross music is here; and I really like their music style.}

Yes I know; surround sound effects plus the LFE channel plus the dialog...are all part of the overall audio score.
Music is number one for me, always, in films too.

I really want to see this flick, but I don't think that it has replay value (not the genre). So I'll borrow the Blu from a friend, instead of buying it, and I'll borrow his girlfriend too. ...Instead of buying her.
 
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