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
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
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)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package