32/25
Sofia is a progressive and independent girl who is terrified of the word marriage. The only love stories in her life are those of Jane Austen. Until she is mysteriously transported to the 19th century. Diego Montez’s film debut. With Jules and Jim (1962). This surprised me quite a bit, in a good way, as most of what is about fantasy and “what if” has already been told and is usually something well-worn except for new audiences to come, but “Gone Girl” actually had some good points to share, a somewhat fresh take and a fresh presentation of certain things despite the heavy load of clichés that most of us know from both romance novels and fantasy themes. It is based on a best-selling novel (which I have not read), so what attracted me were the interesting themes and some of the names in the cast. Plot twist: it ends up being a fun and humorous movie, one of those movies where you really have fun. It follows Sofia (Giovanna Grigio), a modern-day independent woman, a huge fan of Jane Austen novels who wanted her love life to be exactly like swooning over a noble, kind guy like Mr. Darcy. But in the age of dating and hookup apps and crumbling romance, the dream is only real in books – or so she thinks until she is transported back to the 19th century to a place that looks like a mix between Brazil and England, and somehow racial diversity is completely accepted (loved, but a lot of people will be confused by this), and that’s where she accidentally stumbles upon the young, charming, and respectable Ian Clarke (Bruno Montaleone). The rest is up to you to fill in the blanks about how confusion grows between beings from different eras, different behaviors and social mores, and whether there will be any love. The production values were incredible, from the costumes and art direction to the location (I’m not sure where those gorgeous landscapes where Sofia and Ian ride horses were filmed), the package was well presented in a big way. And if there’s any urgency to “Gone Girl” or at least to an audience, it’s for those who feel exactly like Sofia, living and dealing with an incredible technological age and the ability to believe in love and marriage outside of a simple social contract; but the age we live in lacks human connection, real affection (as if the Austen period were that perfect). So the film makes an interesting comparison between the period, the romance of classic novels with modern times, and how those two might connect… if they connect at all. There’s a lot of humor in these questions, the couple is very charming as are the supporting characters – Ian’s sister (Nathália Falcão) was my favorite, charmed by sunglasses and always available for Sofia. However, as a story that hits at some clichés, whether they be fantasy, literature, or real-life clichés, “Gone Girl” misses them most of the time, but it’s one of those things that always draws in audiences who love those themes but scares those who feel exhausted by repetition. It didn’t bother me much and I managed to be surprised by a couple of things, and the conclusion seemed pretty right to me for everything presented. Fiction as fiction, but sometimes there are touches that reach reality. Live and learn. 7/10.
