Gone Baby Gone (DVD)

Based on the novel by MYSTIC RIVER author Dennis Lehane, GONE BABY GONE marks the directorial debut of actor Ben Affleck. Featuring a solid cast that includes Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Affleck's brother Casey in the lead role as a private detective, GONE BABY GONE centers on the disappearance of a young girl in the working class neighborhood of Dorchester in South Boston. With plenty of twists and turns, the movie works as a solid crime thriller, but it's as a study of a place--and one's ability to either accept and embrace or ultimately break free from it--that the film flowers. Beneath the movie's street-tough justice and cop shop politics sits a very complicated view of the world, which Affleck delves into unflinchingly, thanks in large part to his ability to extract some excellent performances from his cast. Casey Affleck offers a nice mix of both steely resolve and vulnerability, while Harris presents a strong performance as a conflicted, emotionally tortured cop. Of particular note is Amy Ryan as the mother of the abducted girl. Her character's outrageous foul-mouthed demeanor ultimately ends up feeling both tragic and pathetic, with the only appropriate reactions being either pity or rage. It makes for an uncomfortable but affecting dichotomy. GONE BABY GONE signifies a confident and impressive turn behind the camera for one of Hollywood's more contentious stars. A Boston native himself, Affleck takes great care in evoking his city's entirety, from its undeniably ugly underbelly, to what feels like an almost primordial sense of community. It speaks to Affleck's substance as a director, and of good things to come.

"It's a major directorial debut from Affleck, successfully combining the elements of a smart, intriguing police procedural with a distinctive Bostonian flavour and the psychological sophistication and moral complexity that distinguish the very best mystery thrillers."

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, John Ashton, Titus Welliver, Amy Ryan
Director: Ben Affleck
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Director of Photography: John Toll
Producer: Alan Ladd, Sean Bailey, Dan Rissner
Screenwriter: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard
Source Writer: Dennis Lehane

It's been a good few years since there was a good psychological thriller coming out of the States, but not only is Gone Baby Gone just that, it's truly excellent.

It's everything you want from a film like this. It has twists, it has excellent acting, good direction and is grittily and genuinely produced showing the darker sides of the Boston streets, and even has morals and moral decisions which are debatable outside of the screen.

It's just a shame that this film was die to be released around the time of a certain, widely-published child abduction, as this film was then delayed in the cinema's (which was a big over-reaction) and when it was released the buzz had all but gone, because this is one of those rare films that could potentially be embraced by the masses and yet acclaimed by the critics.

One of the best films to come out of the US in 5 years. Excellent.