The Grimiest Side of Boston

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2007)

Ben Affleck has managed to redeem himself entirely with "Gone Baby Gone," a detective/mystery film based on the Dennis Lehane novel about a missing girl and the numerous affiliations that attempt to find her. Murder, drugs, poor parenting; the film is an amalgam of morals and ethics with an ending that will inevitably split the audience in half.
For me, being from Chelsea, MA originally, and then moving to the North Shore of Massachusetts, I thought "Gone" was more Bostonian than the slightly superior and successful "The Departed." Though not all of Boston and its surrounding areas are grim, profane and hard-nosed, the truth remains, a good portion of it is. The quick wit and hilarious swear spouting of Boston drunkards is realistically portrayed, and I found myself shaking my head at some of the back and forth, easily envisioning something like it just around the block. I'll give sincere credit to Affleck and Aaron Stockard for their adapted screenplay, and even more credit to a cast who not once, I think, go overboard with their accents, something even Matt Damon did in "The Departed." Ed Harris and Casey Affleck especially.
As far as the film goes, the atmosphere is definitely there. Great use of location, again better than "The Departed," and the instant casting procedure Affleck used in the film works perfectly.
The film manages to build and tear down notions and ideas with ease, keeping you guessing up until the the last fifteen minutes or so, and through sound and logical editing, the film rolls along at a nice clip, never getting too preachy or boring.
Great acting by everyone involved(even side characters had strong presence), inspired direction, appropriate cinematography and a heavy handed story of knowing when and how to make the right decisions.