The challenge for any director bringing Gillian Flynn’s addictive 2012 whodunit, “Gone Girl,” to the big screen is to capture the propulsive, page-turning readability that made the book such a diabolically pleasurable airplane read. David Fincher has risen to the challenge by making a straight-edged, handsomely realized airplane movie, which is not nearly the same thing. At a tushie-numbing 2 1 / 2 hours, Fincher’s “Gone Girl” might provide some welcome diversion on a trip over the flyover country the book and movie subtly lampoon: The twisty plot, sophisticated production values and handful of standout performances will no doubt persuade rows of fidgety viewers that they’re watching something of intelligence, quality and impeccable literary provenance. But it’s just that sense of seriousness that keeps “Gone Girl” from reaching its fullest potential. Unaccountably, Flynn — who adapted her own book for the screen — has left some of her tangiest provocations either entirely unplumbed or superficially pinged. “Gone Girl” is a “yes, but” movie: Yes, it’s well-made, but it stays maddeningly on its own polished surfaces. It’s smart, but not clever or probing or risky enough to be truly brilliant. It’s absorbing, but not terribly deep, memorable or, finally, all that much fun to watch. Read more http://www.washingtonpost.com/going...4798ac-47e2-11e4-b72e-d60a9229cc10_story.html
