Tag Archives: gillian flynn

Dark Places

dark places

Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Writer: Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Based on Dark Places by Gillian Flynn)
Released: August 2015
Starring: Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and Chloë Grace Moretz
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Why do I do this to myself? I read the book, then watch the movie. Of course I’m going to be disappointed.

As per the Gillian Flynn book of the same name, this is a story about a seven-year-old girl, Libby Day, who witnessed the massacre of her family. She testifies against her 15-year-old brother, who gets jail for life.

Libby is still emotionally scarred by the murders 25 years on, and is struggling with depression, to pay bills, to even get out of bed in the mornings. When one day, some random (Nicholas Hoult) gets in touch to explain there is growing belief that her brother is innocent.

With the motivation of getting a bit of desperately-needed cash by speaking to this man, she begins to question what happened that day. Did she really see her brother killing her family?

Basically, what was a layered and intriguing mystery in the book, becomes a simplified one-watch film. It’s really nothing special. It’s just a good-looking woman skulking about, and figuring out the mystery with very little effort.

dark places 2

Beyond this basic storyline, is my annoyance at the casting of Libby Day. Libby is a big-breasted, short, red-haired woman with a temper. She is not a tall, athletic, beautiful pixie-haired woman… In other words, Charlize Theron should not have been the main character. But she produced it, so she cast herself despite the obvious physical differences. She don’t care. #richpeoplelife

It’s just so annoying! The integrity of the story is weakened by this obvious disregard for the main character. Then again, have you ever heard of an average-looking Hollywood actor getting a main part in a movie? I guess there’s a bigger force at play here.

I was able to watch Dark Places while simultaneously doing multiple other things and still felt like I experienced what little impact there was to experience.

Overall, it’s an easy-watch (even though it’s not supposed to be).

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Sharp Objects – Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects book by Gillian Flynn

Writer: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Mystery/crime
Released: 2006
Blurb: When two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family’s mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows – a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.
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Gillian Flynn’s first novel, Sharp Objects, is a medley of haunting and distressing themes, which frequently give-way to Flynn’s budding talent for telling crime stories.

Like many first-time authors, Flynn draws on a subject she knows about for her first novel; journalism. The main character, Camille, goes back to her creepy hometown to cover the story of preteen murders. Camille also has to confront her over-bearing mother and manic half-sister, all the while, battling with self-harm.

Not going to lie, for the most part, Sharp Objects is sadistically dark for no good reason. It’s more of a horror story about mentally-ill characters, rather than a cleverly-told mystery.

It’s clear Sharp Objects is Flynn’s debut novel, as her tone seems to be in development; it’s slower in pace and is a bit more padded out. It feels like Flynn is trying to be a bit too smart, which makes the crime seem more layered than it really is.

But, her quirky descriptions of characters are featured, which I love. Particularly regarding Camille’s step-father, Alan:

Now he sat, needly legs jutting out of white safari shorts, with a baby blue sweater draped over a crisp oxford. He sweated not at all. Alan is the opposite of moist.

Very rarely did Alan and I talk outside of my mother’s presence. As a child, I’d once bumped into him in the hallway, and he’d bent down stiffly, to eye level, and said, “Hello, I hope you’re well.” We’d been living in the same house for more than five years, and that’s all he could come up with. “Yes, thank you,” was all I could give in return.

It seems like this novel was a great starting point for Gillian Flynn to develop her style of writing, and a place to kickstart her career as an author. However, it certainly isn’t her best work, and not my favourite of hers.

It’s simply too sadistic for no good reason, whereas her novels later on down the line – Dark Places and Gone Girl – are both genius, mysterious thrillers that are brilliantly told. They’re more thought-provoking and complex.

Everyone has to start somewhere though! Flynn’s novels get better and better.

Keep an eye-out for the TV series that is to be released soon, based on Sharp Objects. The director of the series Big Little Lies is behind it!

Jodie’s rating: 5/10

Dark Places – Gillian Flynn

dark places - gillian flynn

Writer: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Mystery/crime
Released: 2009
Blurb: Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas. She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. The unimaginable truth soon emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

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After finishing Murder on the Orient Express on holiday, I moved on to Dark Places; a natural choice as I loved Gone Girl so much.

Dark Places is a story about a seven-year-old girl, Libby Day, who witnessed the massacre of her family. She testifies against her 15-year-old brother, who ends up in jail.

Libby is still deeply emotionally scarred by the murders 25 years on, and is struggling with depression, to pay bills, to even get out of bed in the mornings. When one day, she receives a phone call from a man explaining that there is a growing belief in the community that her brother is innocent.

With the motivation of getting a bit of desperately-needed cash by speaking to this man, she begins to question what happened that day. Did she really see her brother killing her family? Or was this man right, in that Libby was just a confused seven-year-old, guided by police and councillors to testify against her big brother?

She goes on a rocky, dark quest to discover the truth. Previously buried memories are remembered, and hidden clues are found.

This was certainly a very dark story. More horror than thriller in parts, particularly due to the satanic themes. So it’s not really a novel I would whole-heartedly recommend to everyone.

I certainly don’t think Dark Places should have a ‘if you liked Gone Girl, you’ll love this‘ kind of review. Because they’re both rather different.

However, it still has Gillian Flynn’s genius way of writing. You’re bouncing all over the place, between different characters’ points of view (which I LOVE), from before, during and after the murders, and not once are you lost or confused. How does she do it??

What I have learnt from Flynn’s writing is that she loves flawed characters. Same with Gone Girl; there’s no goodie and baddie, really. They’re all bad and all good in one way or another. Mostly bad. But still human enough to relate to them in some ways.

Prepare yourself for the bitter self-loathing you’ll endure because Gillian Flynn is such an amazing writer. So amazing that it seems totally unattainable to ever become half as good as her. It’s very annoying.

She has a talent of describing exactly what she means in such few words. From memory, a line that stood in my mind was when a character was trying to get another character’s attention in an intimidating way, and Flynn uses the word ‘needled’ to describe the sharp annoyance of the character’s persistence. Who would have thought to use that word? You get the whole picture in just one word! Genius.

I thought I couldn’t enjoy a book if I didn’t like the main character. Turns out, I can. I was hooked! It’s a classic ‘who dunnit’ mystery, laced with terror, gore and fear.

Overall, yes, you must read this. It’s fantastic. Gillian Flynn is a remarkably talented writer. But just prepare yourself for satanic sacrifices and horrific descriptions. It’s a bit full on.

Now that I’ve finished the book and started Googling about it, I realised there was a 2015 movie based on this book! Dark Places, the movie, features Charlize Theron (totally wrong casting right off the bat), which I will be watching this week. I’ll let you know if the poor reviews are accurate!

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Gone Girl

Gone Girl film poster

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Gillian Flynn (based on her novel of the same name)
Released: October 2014
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry and Carrie Coon
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Let me just begin by saying, oh my Lord, Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay to her own novel! That never happens!

When writing my last post, What are you like, Rosamund Pike? (about actors whose public perception changes based on the roles they choose), I wondered how I was going to write this review…

I was so shocked by Rosamund Pike’s performance – she was fantastic of course – but I wasn’t prepared for her to pick this role.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t the mystery/detective/Midsomer Murders deal I was expecting. This is a story of a manic, psychopathic panther disguised as a house cat.

Pike’s character, Amy, is the wife to Nick (Ben Affleck), when she goes missing. They were a seemingly perfect couple who live in the suburbs, but how happy were they really before this tragedy happened?

Their house is a gory crime scene on the day of her disappearance, so it’s assumed that a brutal murder has taken place and her body has been hidden, but who did it?

Gone Girl film - Ben Affleck's speechIt gets dark very quickly by this point as they outline the characters’ backstories, and how it came to this.

Nick is thrust into the spotlight of the media, who struggles to be the likeable and concerned husband that the public expect. He is quickly labeled as number one suspect, and Nick gets lawyered-up!

It is certainly a tragic and unnerving film, with some scenes being particularly distressing so this thriller is not a sleepy Sunday afternoon kind of film.

Nevertheless, this is a psychological thriller, which is always one step ahead of you; it has you flip-flopping between characters as to who to root for.

Amy is portrayed as a trustworthy and humble suburban woman on the outside, but has a twisted mind. I was a bit terrified of her as we realise the full potential of her off-kilted psyche. But I still kind of liked her – she has a bit of Thelma & Louise in her storyline.

Nick is a good-looking, albeit, quietly egotistical, depressed and selfish man, so he’s not all that great either. But that doesn’t necessarily make him guilty… Does it?

As Pike said in an interview about this “social satire” film, we are all editing ourselves – on Facebook and in public – so who are we all really? What are we capable of?

Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl film

Gone Girl  does challenge you to acknowledge the major social issues and kinks in human nature within society. As we’re rubbing shoulders with the best and the worst of humanity.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10