Reel Critics: ‘Left Behind,’ but not far enough

The “Left Behind” book series promoted the controversial biblical theory of the Rapture. The premise is that on a day of God’s choosing, all true believers will suddenly vanish from the Earth. They will be transported instantly to heaven and leave behind everyone who did not qualify for the mass exodus.

If the newly vanished person was driving a car or flying a plane at the time, the vehicle still obeys the laws of physics. It continues on until it crashes into the unfortunate souls who didn’t make the dogmatic cut to the next level. Horrible tribulation will torment those remaining until the second coming is complete.

Believers and doubters of this theory will both be disappointed in the new movie version of “Left Behind.” It’s very short on theological discussion. But it goes long on disaster movie clichés, playing out as an airplane catastrophe flick.

Nicolas Cage sleepwalks through his role as a secular airline pilot married to a religious wife. A variety of stereotyped passengers provide lame dialogue familiar to the genre. Predictable and stale, this is a cheesy B-movie with little redeeming social value for anyone.

—John Depko

*

‘Gone’ and gripping

A man caresses his wife’s hair, telling us he’d love to crack open her skull, unravel her brain and discover “what are you thinking, what have we done to each other?”

This enigmatic opener of “Gone Girl” sets the tone for the year’s most highly buzzed-about film. It definitely lives up to the hype.

David Fincher’s coolly cynical directorial style (“The Social Network,” “Se7en”) is perfect for this psychological thriller about a man whose wife goes missing on their anniversary. It’s a mystery that stays one step ahead of us.

Ben Affleck is the embodiment of Nick Dunne, an attractive, likable but reserved guy, loved and then vilified by the press after wife Amy (Rosamund Pike, a revelation) disappears. The media has a field day analyzing his every word and expression — is he really worried about Amy’s whereabouts, or is he a cold-blooded murderer?

On the flip side, Amy is one of those cool blondes that Hitchcock would have loved in his movies. As she reads us her diary, we learn how she and Nick met, and how finances and family altered their relationship.

The entire cast is so good: notably Carrie Coon as Nick’s twin sister and emotional touchstone, and Kim Dickens as a smiling, sharp-eyed detective. Tyler Perry plays a camera-savvy lawyer and, in a bit of inspired casting, Neil Patrick Harris is Amy’s creepy former lover.

I’m so glad I waited to read the bestselling book (author Gillian Flynn did the screenplay), as there are plenty of plot twists and mood shifts that come at you in waves.

The last scene of “Gone Girl” had me feeling I’d just witnessed a relationship gone mad. Judging from the audience murmurs, I was not alone.

—Susanne Perez

JOHN DEPKO is a retired senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. He lives in Costa Mesa and works as a licensed private investigator. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a company in Irvine.