In an age when most suspense thrillers follow a cookie cutter staple of right and wrong, hero and villain, justice and injustice and a clear cut ending, the new film Gone Baby Gone is like a breath of fresh air.
Motives change, people change, and if that wasn’t enough, morals and values morph into an internal struggle of great consequence.
Based on the novel of Dennis Lehane (author of Mystic River), Gone Baby Gone is set in Boston’s tough and gritty working class neighborhood of Dorchester.
A little girl is kidnapped, and a media onslaught ensues. Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) is a small-time private detective hired by the victim’s family to aid in finding the little girl.
Working with his partner/girlfriend (Michelle Monaghan), the two conduct their investigation in a very different way than the local police. Having grown up in the neighborhood himself, Patrick knows the people to talk to, and the right questions to ask.
Hindered as much as he is helped by the police, work gets done and the investigation seems to come to a somewhat expected end. At this point though, Patrick is smitten with a lingering question about the investigation. The motives have changed,
and now he is going after the very people who hired him and helped him with the case.
What he uncovers takes the audience to the very end when the final twist and ultimate truth is exposed. The end will undoubtedly leave the audience asking themselves a question about morality and the perception of the truth.
Casey Affleck (Ocean’s Eleven) proves with this movie that he is ready to carry more films as a lead actor. His demeanor is unflappable, and probably comes from being a Boston native as well.
He is helped by strong supporting roles in the film, most notably Amy Ryan (The Wire), who gives a vivid performance as the mother of the kidnapped child.
Watching her on screen, you get such an authenticity of a troubled Dorchester woman that you forget that she’s an actress simply playing a part.
Ed Harris (Apollo 13) also gives a stellar performance as a tough police detective helping work the case.
While the acting and the story both do well, they only do so due to the fact that the film is shot in a fine manner.
Behind the camera is none other than Oscar-winning screenwriter, Hollywood’s leading man and Boston native Ben Affleck.
Casey’s big brother makes his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone. With all the technique you might expect from a veteran of the craft, Affleck’s pacing and shooting gives the film an incredible feel of authenticity.
The few action sequences are extremely well-paced and choreographed.
The movie flows and builds when it has to, and you hardly seem to notice any dragging in between.
Say what you will about his questionable performances on screen (Pearl Harbor, Gigli), but Ben Affleck proves with Gone Baby Gone that he pays expert attention to what goes on behind the camera.
