Great Movie.....

Rating: 9/10 (20 January 2009)

I have wanted to watch Gone Baby Gone for some time now but missed it on its cinema release. Finally caught up with it this weekend on DVD.
Ben Affleck's directorial debut is nothing short of breath-taking. For a guy who had never lensed before, this is a truly remarkable feat. Direction was spot on, pacing was solid and the story unfolded at just the right momentum. I loved Affleck and Damon's Good Will Hunting - their screenplay and acting superb in that flick - but he has done it again here with this one.
I won't go into the synopsis of the movie as everybody knows it by now - but i will say that it really gets you thinking at the end. A moral decision has to be made and it is something that, personally, I thought was the wrong decision by the main character.
The scenes in this movie were very realistic - not flash, trumped up over-indulgent luvvy camera work - but simple, straight-forward and effective. Casey Affleck was great in the lead role (his first lead???) and carried the movie very well. If there was to be one criticism to level at this film - it would be Casey's delivery of his lines. At times they were mumbled and coupled with his thick Boston accent meant for a lot straining of ears and rewinds to catch what he had just said.
I don't like figuring out the end of movies (sixth sense caught me completely cold) but this one leaves ample clues all the way through that you will figure what happens well before the reveal. But for some reason that did not spoil it for me. The end scene was a tremendous way to close the movie (not unlike the end of Good Will Hunting either if you think about it).
For me - this was a breath of fresh air and a thoroughly enjoyable film. Well done the Brothers Affleck.
8/10.