MovieChat Forums > Gone Girl (2014) Discussion > Men Like Desi Collins

Men Like Desi Collins

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
13 replies | jump to latest

I feel sorry for the poor guy. He didn't deserve to be killed, especially not like that. And he certainly didn't deserve for his name to be forever demonised in relation to a kidnap and rape he DID NOT commit.

However, men like Desi sadly share some responsibility for their ultimate fates.

Apparently this was made more explicit in the book, but Desi is still the ultimate self-styled 'White Knight', the type of pathetic borderline misandrist sad-sack who has a thing for female 'victims'. The type of guy who is unable to regard women and men as equals, and thus that women can be every bit as mendacious, twisted and corrupt as any man, and instead buys the female supremacist narrative that men are innately evil, women are innately good (i.e. the 'women are wonderful effect' as acknowledged by Alice Eagly), and falls hook-line-and-sinker for the lie that Nick just had to have abused Amy, despite the fact that it's already abundantly clear that Amy has form as a liar who faked her own death.

Desi is not an evil guy. I don't even think he was a bad person for his eventual complicity in Amy's plan to frame Nick. But he is symptomatic of the type of weak, woolly-headed and naïve modern man (like the FBI idiots and the cop who takes an immediate dislike to Nick) who will automatically believe anything a woman tells them.

And of course I just must be a 'misogynist' or a MRA for making these observations..

And yet, it took a woman, Gillian Flynn, the brilliant writer of Gone Girl to articulate the very things today's ultra politically correct society with its legion of self-flagellating self-hating egregiously apologetic men are too afraid to be honest about.

The truth is that smart brilliant women like Alice Eagly and Gillian Flynn are able to cut through the bullshit, and tell it like it is about weak, gullible, naïve, misandrist men.

[–] captainbucky (15252) 6 years ago

She done killed him

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I know this is several months late, but I have my own theory on Desi after just watching this for a second time.

Notice when Nick searched out the first guy, who's name I forget, he was quick and forthcoming with his story about Amy framing him for rape. That was because Amy thought he was leaving her and she wanted him to suffer.

However, when Nick confronted Desi about being a stalker, on the other hand, he didn't object or provide his side of the story. He just closed the door on him. You'd think he'd want to clear his name if her allegations were false.

Later, when Amy calls Desi, he drops everything to rush out and 'save' her.

As soon as he gets her to the house, he immediately becomes very controlling of her. Buying her new 'more suitable' clothes and hair dye, telling her he cant wait to have the old Amy back. He also says things like " I'm not letting you slip away again". He immediately initiates physical contact, kissing her forehead more than once, and at one point says hes moving in the next day.

If you notice how he reacts to her trying to see Nick's interview on TV, he stares at her impatiently, tries to distract her, then immediately shuts the TV off and takes her food out of her hands.

This, on top of the letters he kept sending her, leads me to believe that Desi probably actually did stalk her, and what Amy said about him was actually true.

The only reason she called him was out of desperation, and because she knew he was obsessed with her and would come running.

Also, she didnt care enough about him to make him suffer like the other 2 men. She simply saw an opening to get away with her 'kidnapping' story, and killed him outright. This tells me they never had any sort of real relationship. If anything, she was probably stringing him along then the same way she was this time.

I haven't read the book, but I have a strong hunch more of Desi's obsessive backstory is covered in it.

[–] gcarras (2782) 5 years ago

Well, I sure don't!

[–] StrongRex (1319) 5 years ago

Your whole post is the reason I'm so glad Gone Girl was written by a woman and I just have to laugh when I hear accusations of "sexism."

[–] Kennedy (115) 5 years ago

Because women can't be sexist...?

[–] StrongRex (1319) 5 years ago

No, because the sexism accusations stem from the fact that this book has a woman as the main antagonist. And she's not just the antagonist, she's also a psychopath and a cold-blooded murderer. Women can be evil just like men can. It's not sexist to say that.

[–] Kennedy (115) 5 years ago

Now see, that's a proper argument, has nothing to do with if it's directed by a woman of a man.

[–] StrongRex (1319) 5 years ago

Agreed. But nowadays, many people walk on eggshells when it comes to topics like this because other people get more easily offended every day.

[–] ExTechOp (2770) 5 years ago

Desi's role is one of the more educational parts of the film, for "white knight" guys and for women who think they want "nice guys"

Guys like Desi are NOT "nice"

Still didn't deserve death, though, but that's what happens when you get between someone like Amy and her goals

[–] jekporkins (1985) 5 years ago

The thing I found fascinating about this movie/book is how everyone is despicable. They all deserve their fate.

Nick could have walked away but I believe he was actually intrigued by this new Amy in his life. It took time but he allowed himself to be manipulated into staying with Amy. He could have exposed her but didn't want the public backlash and, I believe, was starting to enjoy the attention he was receiving and how strong Amy was. Twisted!

Amy was a murderer whose framing-a-husband-for-murder plan failed and she had to come back to the man she despised to save her own life. Let's not forget she framed a previous boyfriend and ruined his life.

Desi was a controller, a manipulator, was willing to screw over an innocent man and keep a woman held almost prisoner in his house. He was also a stalker. I don't know if the book explores this, but Amy might not have been his only obsession. There are guys out there like this and they are disturbed.

Even Detective Boney was despicable. She went after Nick with blinders on, and when Amy got back took those blinders off and walked away with a whimper even though she knew Amy murdered Desi.

[–] Boricanator (1469) 3 years ago

I disagree about Nick and Detective Boney.

Nick was genuinely afraid of Amy. He knows she’s really smart and if he does anything to get her mad, Amy could turn his life upside down. Even his lawyer says: “don’t piss her off.” So, he is trapped as Amy’s slave. He can’t walk away. Nick is a victim enslaved to an abusive wife.

As for the Detective, she had to follow the evidence where it lead her. At the time, the evidence was leading her to the conclusion that Nick was a murder. When Amy reappeared, the evidence was strong that she was kidnapped and rapped by Desi. So, she couldn’t do anything about it.

[–] jekporkins (1985) 3 years ago

I see where you're coming from. Agree to disagree. I felt Nick had his out and could have left even though it would have looked bad to the press 'abandoning his pregnant wife.' He also could have tried to expose her but didn't. He was, in my opinion, intrigued that his wife was so passionate about their relationship.

Boney is trickier. That scene at the end... she knew Amy was lying and murdered a man, but gave up. That actually could just be a bit of poor writing to finish the story. The whole movie was showing her to be upstanding and dedicated, but then she walked away so easily.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

If that's how Desi was written in the book, then his character was changed a bit for the movie.

Because what we saw in the movie was a woman's version of the "Nice Guy" from hell, the one who seems devoted and protective on the surface, but one who turns controlling and abusive the moment he gets close. This sort of "nice guy"...

https://www.boredpanda.com/giving-nice-guy-chance/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic