Yes, a genuine great

Rating: 9/10 (20 January 2017)

I'm writing this review long, long after my original viewing of the film, and that's significant in itself: it's stayed with me this long.
Ben Affleck did such a good job on this movie I could hardly believe it was him directing. The gritty settings, the bang-on performances, the solid pacing... It flat WORKS just on a cinematic level. It's a good detective story with really compelling characters. Notably, Casey Affleck's performance is magnificent. Deadpan, absolutely, but it's a character that demands it.
What elevates Gone Baby Gone to true greatness, though, is the moral question posed in the course of the story. It's a great movie to see with other people, because it's sure to raise discussion.