Much more impressive than I thought it would be.

Rating: 8/10 (2 April 2008)

Ben Affleck, just his name invokes humor and giggles. Seriously, he hasn't yet had a memorable film role. So, when I and probably everyone else, heard that he got a job as a director, I paid no attention to the announcement. However, his new film Gone Baby Gone received much media attention, so I decided to view it during my Panama City Beach spring break vacation. It was the only film that I saw during my uneventful and, daresay, boring break. I was very surprised with Affleck's work. This is a gritty, realistic film that borrows from noir and heist elements to produce a balanced and enjoyable final product. I couldn't believe how well Affleck directed this film. If he keeps directing films such as this one, he may no longer be the butt of everyone's jokes. Our story begins with the kidnapping of a young girl, Amanda, of whom we know next to nothing. As the story unravels, we learn about her disappearance, we believe the story to have ended. This is where a slight problem is revealed. The plot falls down and it takes Patrick's druggie friend to help restore it. Eventually, Patrick becomes aware of a conspiracy by Police Chief Doyle to keep Amanda as his own daughter. Patrick reveals his secret and loses his girlfriend for acting in what he thinks is the best way.
This film is quite an achievement. It is filled with unsuspecting plot twists and nearly all supporting characters are involved in the grand conspiracy. The only irony is that Angie didn't have much of a role other than to look pretty. Patrick raided the old cocaine-addicts house. He also partook much of the interrogation of the drug lord in the first half of the film. Her only significant action was to rescue Amanda's shirt at the end of the first part of the film. Not that it mattered much, but Angie could have added even more charisma to the film. What I especially liked was the extensive character development. Patrick was an easygoing detective who realized the duty he had to maintain order in the police force. His dialog with Doyle near the end of the film was provocative and showed his change. Doyle, on the other hand, became the criminal and child abductor he hated so much. Even Amanda's mother seemed more understanding of her obligation to her daughter by the film's end.
I'm not going to stipulate that Gone Baby Gone is a film for the ages, but I enjoyed it tremendously. It is a rare film that not only seamlessly unravels an intricate plot, but develops strong realistic characters too. Although some may complain about the level of profanity, I found it realistic, given the film's setting. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime films or even the old film noir titles. This is about as close to Double Indemnity and the like that we had last year, so do yourself a favor and watch it.