Easily One Of The Five Best Of 2007

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2008)

The first question that has to be asked is this: How did this not get nominated for Best Picture? I have to say, rarely do movies ever affect me in such a way that they stay with me long after the credits have rolled. There have been very few. But Gone Baby Gone is one of those movies. It is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. The acting and directing are superb. Casey Affleck is quickly becoming one of the best young actors in Hollywood. He is very convincing as a "no nonsense, doesn't take any crap off of anyone" person who will stop at nothing to get to the truth of the matter. And Ben Affleck just may have found out what it is he is destined to do. Although he is passable as an actor, his strength is clearly in screen writing and behind the camera. He has created what I consider to be an almost masterpiece here. The end of this film is the most bitter-sweet conclusion I have ever seen. The decision that Affleck's character is forced to make can all be boiled down to one word...integrity. He had it, and he made the decision that was right. There's a famous saying that rings true here: Most of the time the hard thing to do, and the right thing to do are the same. This movie hammers home that idea forcefully. And it's easily one of the five best movies of 2007.