Peppermint Friday Review: Gone Girl #37

This is the film I just don't like and I'm happy that I'm talking about this because on here I do talk about films I love and its refreshing to talk about something I didn't like and didn't get.

Firstly I read the book before the film, which is something you should normally do, I try to do that but not always. Its with exception of Harry Potter and LOTR because I watched them when I was around 8-9 and back then I had quite bad dyslexia and those books are huge so I just didn't read them, I have now though. I mean with book to film adaptations there is obviously gonna be a difference in the film, because a director's mind is completely different to an author's and there are some things in the story that are just inherently book oriented and some things that work amazingly for film. What the story is about is Amy and Nick played by Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck a couple who have been married for 5 years and on their 5th Anniversary Amy disappears, and its the story and mystery as to what happened to Amy. 

The film goes in flashbacks to when Nick first met Amy and Amy's past boyfriends and what happened the day she disappeared. Amy is also known as 'Amazing Amy' by the public because of the popular books her parents wrote in the inspiration of their daughter. The story is so flawed and it annoys me because there is noone I can relate to in this story at all not one person is sympathetic at all. The couple are questioning what went wrong in their marriage, they were both unemployed due to the recession which led Nick to have an affair with Andie played by Emily Ratajkowski, and there were problems of whether or not Amy's pregnant. Its a whole public search as to where is Amy and her relationship with Nick, and he becomes a prime suspect that he killed her. As Amy learned that Nick was having an affair so instead of confronting him about it and going from there in their relationship, no she frames him for murder, her murder. 

I just find the whole story ludicrous and I watched the film twice because I wanted to see if I hated the story or the film itself, because there is a difference I liked the actors in the film, but the story and characters were just terrible. Nick meets Tommy played by Scoot McNairy an ex of Amy's who she accused him of rape, he also meets Desi Collings played by Neil Patrick Harris another of Amy's exs who had a restraining order against him, Amy then decides to meet him and wants him to runaway together and that Nick was abusing her. I know its so so so dumb, Amy and Desi capture there old fire in a way and have some fun and as they're doing it, she gets a knife and kills him while they're doing it..... yes you read that. Oh but it gets weirder and much more ludicrous, Amy then gets in her car and still covered in blood, drives home to Nick, while still being covered in blood, not her blood but the guy she just murdered's blood.

I'd like to let you all know that noone questions her about it, and she gets sent to the hospital for check ups I assume and yet still covered in blood and noone questions why. But she names Desi who's dead as her captor and rapist clearing Nick of being a suspect. In the end Amy says to Nick she's pregnant, Nick doesn't believe this and is willing to take a paternity test and decides to stay with Amy. I just find the whole story so stupid its annoying because the concept is brilliant I mean it sounds so juicy and like some Creepypasta that will keep you up at night thinking 'what happened to her?' 'was she killed or did she just had enough?' a million questions go through your mind and it delivers itself like a wet lettuce.

Its not just the film its the book aswell, it took me about a week to read it and it was very slow paced. This has nothing to do with the Director of the film David Fincher who I love so much, but its the story that's at fault. I don't know what the author wanted me to think, was it suppose to be a test of whether or not I have empathy/sympathy because I think most humans do. I could not relate to anyone in this story, I thought Amy was just stupid I mean if you're not happy in your relationship you talk to each other and get it sorted out, whether that'd be splitting up or staying together and working through it. I mean you don't just frame your husband for your murder and leg it? One good thing from this is that she is the third woman in stories for me anyway to make my blood boil with anger. Overall I don't like this story and I'm happy I'm not the only one as I've seen many people take a dislike to this and the book. If you want to watch it go right ahead you're not gonna miss out much from the book, if you wanna read the book then go for it but you'll be wasting a week and about 2 and half hours of your life.  

Filmmakers Everyone Should Know

I've been wanting to do a post like this for a while now, as I do champion Actors and Actresses in lead of the film. Theres also the brains behind the operation, some of these directors are not just directors they're writers, like the majority are in a way. I got this book for Christmas its called 'A-Z Great Film Directors' and its so aesthetically pleasing and I love how its planned out with the pictures, and the fantastic artwork of the directors, and how cartoony they're drawn. 

 
 
The way they did Spielberg as Indiana Jones is something I love and makes me very happy. If you want to buy a copy of this book I highly recommend you do, one thing that does annoy me slightly about this book, but thats not the author's fault or publishing company's fault its kinda Hollywood's fault that it just so happens that there hardly any female directors in this book, but again thats a different topic altogether, which I will talk about eventually. The directors I will be talking about some are mention in the book, but some aren't so its not entirely based from this book, and there some directors I haven't even heard of until I read this book! Definitely recommend this book!
                                                         
Steven Spielberg

A director who is so awe-inspiring, I mean everyone knows atleast one of his films. I love the fact that he was 27 when he made Jaws a film that became a huge hit amongst everyone, and its so iconic everyone knows the theme music to Jaws. He made E.T which again is such a classic, and has inspired various TV Shows and Films *cough* Stranger Things *cough*. He's made films that are much more suited for the adults like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List, and he's made films for the younger audience like E.T while still telling a story that meaningful and cinematically wonderful to watch as an audience member. 

David Lynch

This man is a strange one, I mean he make Tim Burton look boring and thats saying something. David Lynch is so weird in his approach to film and storytelling I don't find it weird anymore, I just think 'okay cool' I just love the fact that David Lynch is not only a director he's a Writer, Artist, Musician, Photographer and doesn't just do film work, he's written allot of stuff for TV aswell, like Twin Peaks. The Elephant Man and Blue Velvet are probably my favorite David Lynch films, I don't want to talk too much about it as I wanna save them for a separate review as they deserve it. Most directors usually turn up there nose at doing TV but thats what I love about David Lynch he doesn't care, he's such a fantastic storyteller who I adore.

Roberto Benigni

Roberto Benigni is a director I never really hear people talk about, and it annoys me as he is so underrated. He is an Italian Director who won an Oscar for Life is Beautiful in 1998 which was in the Foreign Films Category a Category that noone really care about. He made what I think the best Pinocchio ever, he is in some ways like an Italian Kenneth Branagh he directs his films, but at the same time is in them. I also love his personality in interviews, it shows that great directors and filmmakers in my opinion don't just come from the U.K and the U.S.A, they come from all different walks of life. 

Ridley Scott

I've spoken about this filmmaker a few times on here, I feel personally he is the King of Sc-Fi in my opinion anyway. As he did Alien a film thats just iconic, and brilliant, but also the beginning of modern Sc-Fi. He is amazing at storytelling, and devising in different genres such as Thelma and Louise, Robin Hood, and G.I Jane who are all so different from each other. He is a director that that people have preferences over like some people prefer his Sc-Fi work than his Fantasy or more Period Drama/Action, and I think its great that he can play with different genres and can be amazing at it. I love him in Actor's Roundtable on Youtube, as well. 

Kathryn Bigelow

Got to include this legendary lady in the mix, perhaps one of the most important Directors ever she is the first female director to win an Oscar, and for a War film The Hurt Locker. A film that's very serious and not fun in the slightest, but oh god its an amazing film. Not to say women can't direct serious War films, but as a woman who adores films its a stereotype that pops up quite alot, with women who love films, and women who make films just do Chick Flicks and Rom-Coms, which some women do like and thats fine each to there own, but its nice to see variety in filmmaking. Again I will do a post on Women in FIlm, but anyway Kathryn Bigelow is fantastic and not a one trick pony in making films of different genres and experimenting with stories.