Who knew Ben had it in him?

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2009)

Director Ben Affleck presents a gripping film about the aftermath of a child abduction.
Wait a minute. Director Ben Affleck? Yes indeed. The often maligned actor and gossip column fixture serves up a serious-minded, thought-provoking near-masterpiece in his feature directorial debut. Sometimes brilliance comes where you least expect it. Now whatever you do Ben please don't waste your newfound credibility by starring in another Gigli.
Gone Baby Gone unfolds in Boston, which is of course the perfect setting for an Affleck-helmed film. Ben certainly knows the city and more importantly knows its people. And this knowledge is so important as the movie unfolds. Everything seems so believable. Everyone fits perfectly into the Bostonian tableau. What at first may seem a rather simple story will eventually reveal itself to be quite complex. And a group of fine actors, all wonderfully cast, brings that story to wonderfully vibrant life.
In the key role Affleck chose to cast his younger brother Casey. Does that send up a red flag? It shouldn't, the younger Affleck does a tremendous job. He plays Patrick Kenzie, a private investigator who works with his partner (and lover) Angie Gennaro, who is played by Michelle Monaghan. Patrick and Angie's work usually involves tracking down deadbeats. But when a young girl in their neighborhood goes missing they are asked by the girl's aunt to investigate. And from here the story takes myriad twists and turns. Only bit by bit is the full picture revealed to the audience and in the end you may find that the story simply takes your breath away.
Casey Affleck is at the heart of the film but it is the wonderful supporting cast which really takes the film to another level. Monaghan is fine in her role, although you may feel you don't get to know her character as well as perhaps you should. Amy Ryan is a true standout as Helene, the mother of the missing girl. Helene seems much more interested in drugs than her daughter and Ryan is spot-on in portraying this character who at times is sympathetic and at other times reprehensible. Ed Harris is reliably brilliant as Remy Bressant, the lead police investigator into the abduction. Remy is a man of obvious passion and strong conviction. It is an interesting dynamic to say the least to see him working with the young Patrick and Angie of whom he has obvious doubts about their ability to be of any help. Morgan Freeman, John Ashton, Amy Madigan...just a few more familiar faces turning in excellent work. And there are so many lesser-known performers, including some ordinary Bostonians from the neighborhood, who fit in perfectly. All the pieces fall into place and the end result is something special to see.
Gone Baby Gone is not a perfect film but any criticisms amount to just minor quibbles. A couple of characters, most notably Monaghan's Angie, could be fleshed out a little better. The story's turns may make it seem a little hard to follow at times but that's OK because it will encourage you to want to go back and watch the film again to see the clues and unravel the secrets. And this is a film well worth seeing a few times. It's a film which raises some serious moral questions and dares you to decide what you would do in such situations. You'll be thinking about this one for quite a while afterwards. Director Ben Affleck? Believe it. It's hard to see how anyone could have done this story any better.