Supposedly the story is about two writers, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. She goes missing.
The story is not about writing. It is about complimenting writers: “I loved it”and “Brilliant” are not subjects, adjectives and admirations writers use. They are more critically subtle suggesting an intimate sublime understanding of the writing. There is none of that in the movie.
The cops learn that Rosamund has gone missing. They are the most inept cops on the planet. There is no victimization; there’s no in-depth investigation into Rosamund or Ben. There is no body, not much blood, no search dogs and no way to transport the body anywhere. The cops don’t talk to the neighbor whose entire life appears to be sitting on his front porch looking at Ben and Rosamund’s house. They don’t talk to Rosamund’s “best friend” until … Ben is a suspect but the cops don’t ask many questions; they let him wander and contaminate house, the supposed crime scene. Ben’s attitude to the cops: he is offended questions are being asked and has a unsettling annoyance his life is disturbed.
So this is not a police story; the cops and their lines are annoyances to tell other parts of the script. The cops don’t learn until late that Ben wants to divorce Rosamund. They don’t learn until late that Ben has been rogering one of his students.
Ben reminds me of Donald Trump, legitimately attacked by women who call him out for his bad judgment and egregious decisions.
At minute 67-69 the audience learns that Rosamund is on the fly and has set Ben up for murder. The big problem is her creating a new identity. Identity is problematic when the subject is known: Amazing Amy is Rosamund’s character. It is coupled with Rosamund’s trademark smile.
Rosemund stays at a resort with a miniature golf course where she monitors the missing person’s investigation over the Internet. With another woman she talks about her experiences with Ben. Dumb.
If Rosamund were decidedly against Ben and wanted him to be charged with murder, it seems a good time to do a WILD venture and hike the Pacific Rim trail, thereby disappearing for a long while. NOPE, Rosamund is not that smart. Her motivation throughout the movie waivers; she goes with the flow.
Rosamund is robbed at the resort by her girlfriend and her boyfriend. Rosamund calls old boyfriend who has held a candle for her for 20 years (believe it or not, life can be that short). He’s rich and promises to hide her at his Lake side, high-tech mansion masquerading as a cabin.
Note it is about this time in the movie that the cops get around to arresting Ben.
Cabin life in the woods is not what Rosamund wants. She more or less does a Basic Instinct murder on the old boyfriend, and reports that he was obsessed with her, kidnapped and raped her. She drives home to Ben.
The situation becomes a public relations campaign. The movie is about writers becoming more famous without going to jail.
If all the ingredients of the story had been hard and accurate, I would not now write, Don’t see this movie.
muymue 