Both Afflecks shine in slow burning mystery

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2008)

"Gone Baby Gone" is a well done mystery. But it's slow to thrill you and doesn't put you on the edge of your seat, though you will be guessing things to the very end. But the filmmakers give you something else to take from this film besides a mystery. A clue to this should be the gentle narration at the beginning of the film from Patrick Kenzie, played by Casey Affleck, talking about how he knows everyone. We see flashes of people in a Massachusetes neighborhood, with Patrick going up and greeting them. It's an excellent setup for Patrick's down to earth tactics in approaching his cases - and for his general principles.
"Gone Baby Gone" is ultimately a morality tale. It's a society tale as well. The main conflict in the story revolves around the disappearance of a little girl named Amanda. Patrick and his girlfriend Michelle are hired to investigate the disappearance of the girl. Their reactions to the case are key to the story. In many ways, the heart of the story is reaction to such atrocities.
For those reactions, we are given several views, from the victimized parents, to the neighbors, to the different police officers attached to the case, including the hard, veteran Detective Remy, played with precision by Ed Harris and the police Captian Doyle, a minor but pivotal role for Morgan Freeman. Ben Affleck uses this palette of characters to paint a painful morality tale about children in society.
This is a film about children. It's about our sometimes condescending views towards parents and asks the question what would you do when you see that sort of injustice. Working in a field involving children, this film struck a chord. Ben Affleck directs the film as if looking for a right answer to injustices against children without burying the film in manipulative sentiment. It's an insightful affair and a good vehicle for Casey Affleck as actor and good feature directorial debut for big brother Ben.