An impressive directing debut for Affleck.

Rating: 8/10 (19 February 2013)

After taking something of a break from the Hollywood scene, actor Ben Affleck managed to successfully reinvent himself as a filmmaker, and "Gone Baby Gone" proved to be just the start of good things, with "The Town" and "Argo" having also gotten their fair share of critical acclaim. He certainly knows his milieu here, having hailed from Boston himself, and does an excellent job at collecting a variety of totally authentic local characters. He also adapts (with Aaron Stockard) the novel by Dennis Lehane, which tells the tale of a childs' abduction. Bens' younger brother Casey stars as Patrick Kenzie, a private investigator who specializes in missing persons cases, along with romantic & professional partner Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan). The two of them are hired by the girls' aunt and uncle to supplement the work that the police are already doing. They find themselves getting personally involved as they pursue the leads, both in and out of the company of detectives Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Nick Poole (John Ashton). Even when it seems as if the case has come to a conclusion, Patrick realizes that too many people have not been playing straight with him, leading to a rich amount of twists and turns. Excellent location shooting, gorgeous cinematography (by John Toll), and an emotionally heavy story are all assets as Affleck takes us on this odyssey. Giving this story resonance is the way it poses a big ethical dilemma: what, really, is the best thing to do for others? Should underhanded methods be permissible if a motive is pure? Viewers will appreciate being intellectually stimulated while they are entertained by the multi layered, complex script. The acting is superb from all of the players: Amy Madigan is sincere and sympathetic as the little girls' aunt, Titus Welliver solid as her uncle, Harris compelling as the lead detective on the case, and Morgan Freeman a tower of strength as usual as the police chief. Casey A. proves himself capable of carrying a picture, but the performer who stands out the most is Amy Ryan as Helene, the girls' trashy mother; she's no less than completely convincing. All in all, "Gone Baby Gone" is an effective achievement: deliberately paced, atmospheric, and satisfying, with a wrap-up that doesn't necessarily provide all the answers but raises interesting questions. It comes highly recommended. Eight out of 10.