If nothing else, you gotta give David Fincher credit for consistency. I mean, he also deserves props for his sometimes daring, always stylistic filmmaking, but above all you can rest assured that he will, when all is said and done, deliver the goods in the form of a satisfying cinematic experience. His latest, Gone Girl, is the lastest well-earned notch in his belt.

Here the trailer; my 5 great things follow after the jump:

1) Start with a rich story about rich people. I didn’t read Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, but once again, credit Fincher for picking solid material. Everyone loves a movie about the rich… especially when we get to see things go south for them… and especially when they’re members of the much-hated preppy northeast. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike star as the impossibly beautiful and cool couple whose careers and relationship run aground and they’re forced by circumstance to abandon Manhattan for mopey Missouri. Shit gets real after that.
2) More twists than a package of Twizzlers. Fincher’s filmography makes it clear that he loves nothing better than to fool his audience, and he is at the top of his game with Gone Girl. This one will have you on the edge of your seat.
3) Sly humor abounds. Ben Affleck is not necessarily known for his comic timing, and it’s not like this movie plays like a black comedy or anything, but there are plenty of darkly funny bits. Affleck gets to be the straight man, though, and the punchlines get delivered by the supporting cast, like Patrick Fugit’s earnest Officer Jim Galpin.
4) Speaking of which, this really isn’t Affleck’s movie. Ms. Pike really is the driving force here, even though she’s “gone” for a good portion of it. Fantastic performance by the Oxford-educated woman who once told James Bond, “I know all about you – sex for dinner, death for breakfast.”
5) Supporting actors that actually support the actors. Who knew Tyler Perry could play a celebrity divorce lawyer (besides Tyler Perry, that is)? Kim Dicken’s turn as a highly capable (and highly suspicious) detective drive a large part of the story. And Neil Patrick Harris continues to burnish his reputation as the go-to guy for offbeat characters.

David Fincher’s Visionary or Hack status is, surprisingly, undecided, even though he was once our Filmmaker of the Week. While I still see him as a visionary, my two cohorts have him In The Lobby. Gone Girl hasn’t changed my mind; perhaps it will change theirs. Where do you think Fincher falls?

Here’s are some Amazon Instant Video links to Gone Girl and some other great movies by David Fincher: