STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH - Gone Baby Gone

GONE BABY GONE

(2007)
With Casey Affleck, Michelle Monoghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver
Directed by Ben Affleck
Reviewed by JB

Ben Affleck's theatrical debut as a director, GONE BABY GONE is a tense, gripping drama set in Dorchester, Boston, about the kidnapping of a young girl. While the local police work on the case, the girl's aunt (Amy Madigan) hires a pair of young private detectives (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monoghan) to work the neighborhood for clues. The deeper the private eyes go, the more things don't add up.

Some of the twists in the plot seem suspect, but overall GONE BABY GONE shows that Ben Affleck may have a better future in acting than directing right now. Not that Affleck is a bad actor (he's on my "I kinda like him" list), but for every good film he's been in lately, there are two or three bad ones. As a director, he may not be fanciful, but he shows a keen eye for capturing the poorer sections of Boston and he gets good performances out of his cast.

As it deals with child abduction and abuse, GONE BABY GONE is also a little difficult to sit through at times. Not only does director Affleck offer up a story about a sweet little girl who is now presumed to be dead, but later brings in a side story about a kidnapped young boy whose sad fate is then shown to us in a haunting scene that is hard to shake.

Director Affleck populates his film with a cast chosen more for their ability to play real people than their star power. Ed Harris and Amy Madigan are two of our best modern day character actors, while Amy Ryan is incredible as the drug-addicted mother who doesn't seem all that broken up about her missing child. Ben's brother Casey, as the lead detective, can't really bring off the tough guy image that the script calls for, but his low key acting style is actually an integral part of the film's style and rhythm. This is not an edge of your seat, shock a minute thriller. Instead, it's a thoughtful drama that asks morally difficult questions and provides no easy answers.

However, the choice of Morgan Freeman as the police captain who heads a Missing Children's Division is a bit unfortunate. The part of the captain would have been better served by another character actor without the star power Freeman cannot help but project these days. Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris and Amy Madigan can all easily slip into roles and lose themselves. But - and maybe it's just me - when I see Morgan Freeman, my first though is "Hey, it's Morgan Freeman... again!". That's not a good thing for a drama that strives for gritty realism. This is not a knock against Freeman, but a criticism about using a big star in such a part. Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro or Sean Connery would have also been questionable choices. That being said, he does a fine job anyway. Because he's Morgan Freeman, damn it. - JB