Never mind that Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman (I would think he would be great, wouldn't you? Wouldn't anyone?). I'm much more concerned about his casting as Nick Dunne, with Rosamund Pike playing his wife, Amy. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn had been read by just about everybody by the time I got to it, so you probably don't need a review. Just in case you are even later to the party than I was you should know it's a stylish psychological thriller with enough plot twists and turns to keep you turning the pages well into the night. What elevates this from being just a standard whodunnit, however, is Flynn's gift for character and – for me – the underlying theme that is in itself quite thought-provoking – the effects that our close relationships can have upon us. Maybe it takes the influence of another person to make us the very best (or worst) that we can be. This is a novel that explores that idea in deliciously sinister fashion and Flynn manages the trick of making you like her main characters even as you despise their behaviour. Whether Batfleck and Pike will be able to pull this off remains to be seen, although if David Fincher is directing I'm more than hopeful.
