People Cannot Choose, but They Are Fruit of Their Town, Neighborhood and Family

Rating: 8/10 (13 May 2008)

The tough private eyes Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) was raised in a poor and dangerous neighborhood of Boston, and works with his partner and girlfriend Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) generally tracking missing losers in debt. When the four year-old Amanda McCready (Madeline O'Brien) is abducted from her apartment, her aunt Beatrice 'Bea' McCready (Amy Madigan) calls the police and the press, and the case is highlighted with the spots by the media. Then Bea hires the reluctant Patrick to work in the case because he is not a cop and based on his great knowledge of their neighborhood. Meanwhile Capt. Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman), who lost his own daughter many years ago and is in charge of the investigation, assigns detectives Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Nick Pole (John Ashton) to give the necessary support to Patrick. After interviewing the addicted low life mother of Amanda, Helene McCready (Amy Ryan), Patrick goes to a bar and discloses that Helene was on the streets with her boyfriend Skinny Ray Likanski (Sean Malone) dealing and using drugs on the day Amanda disappeared. Along his investigation, Patrick faces smalltime criminals, drug dealers, pedophiles and corruption, facing a moral issue to solve the case.
"Gone Baby Gone" is an impressive debut of Ben Affleck as director of feature. The story is original, supported by an outstanding screenplay with several plot points and a polemic conclusion, and the performances are great. The moral and ethical codes of the lead character Patrick Kenzie seem to follow his thoughts, when he says that people cannot choose, but they are fruit of their town, neighborhood and family. His polemical and controversial decision in the end, right or wrong, selfish or right, is certainly another attraction in this great film. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Medo da Verdade" ("Afraid of the Truth")