Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Runtime: 114 minutes

Directed by: Ben Affleck

Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, John Ashton

From: Miramax

Would you believe I had never seen a movie directed by Ben Affleck before? Shame on me, as I rate this highly: 

Last night (8/26/17) I did not watch “that one boxing match”, for a variety of reasons; I don't even like boxing but I was happy not to spend a second checking out a farce of a bout with a shrimp of a guy that's a blowhard vs. an unrepentant woman-beater. Instead, I watched a film I somehow had never seen before, starring someone who apparently isn't a great human being either (but there are unfortunately plenty of people in the entertainment business who are not shining examples of humanity and I am sure it's always been that way).

I am glad I went into this pretty cold, knowing only that there was a horrifying scene which occurs about halfway through. It involves something in a sink... and it was pretty chilling. I imagine most know how Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan are not only a couple but also private investigators... and they are hired so they can try to find a kidnapped 4 year old, and they have an uneasy relationship with a pair of police detectives, and there are surprises, and some very tough decisions have to be made. Thus, I'll get to giving my thoughts.

It may be a little far-fetched (although I could be naive here) and even with that caveat, I can rate this quite highly. Even if he apparently is a creep, Casey Affleck can act, and both his performance and that of Monaghan were great. Having a talented cast overall and featuring the likes of Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan, John Ashton, and Amy Madigan (and people in the “that guy” category like Mark Margolis) definitely helps. The story is always compelling (especially how there was the contrast between the detectives and the two leads, who were from the neighborhood the kidnapping took place so they could better interact with the locals) and like I said, tough decisions have to be made and to the movie's credit, there aren't “cop out” moments. I appreciated how this was a dark tale-featuring at least one character you are bound to despise with a passion-but it was not grueling or punishing. That was a relief for a story involving kidnapped children.

As an aside, as I saw someone I know recently say... plenty of movies involving the city of Boston are not happy stories, especially ones made by those who are from the area. This is no exception. Why that is the case is up for debate, but you definitely get the feeling of working-class Boston while watching this.

For a first-time director, Ben Affleck showed assured and confident direction. Before this came out, I was like most other people in not expecting him to have prodigious talent in such a role, but we were mistaken. I now regret putting off seeing something he did; in the future I'll definitely see the rest.