A promising debut.

Rating: 6/10 (22 November 2008)

Ben Affleck an actor who has been unfairly criticized for his choices as an actor, walks behind the camera for his directorial debut in 'Gone Baby Gone'. A story set in Boston, Casey Affleck, a private investigator, is given the task of finding the whereabouts of a missing child.
The premise has the opportunity to propel this film into a suspenseful and thoughtful study into missing child cases. Although it does have its moments of intensity and suspense, there is not much subtlety in trying to cover the obvious red herrings and the eventual outcome.
If one considers the character Casey Affleck plays, who is supposedly known locally, he approaches his investigation with brash disregard for sensibility - where is the logic of antagonising the local community especially when you are already on first-name terms? Casey Affleck's partner Michelle Monaghan acts rather against character near the finale, used rather as a tool to fortify the difficult predicament that Casey Affleck already faces, which I felt was not necessary.
Ben Affleck does a good job behind the lens but the story to me is rather contrived in order to reach its eventual conclusion of an insurmountably tough moral choice.