Film Review: Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Ben Affleck, despite being a big star, was never considered a great actor, particularly when compared to his friend and screenwriting collaborator Matt Damon. However, Affleck's work behind the camera was generally received more positively by critics, starting with his 2007 directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone.

Based on the eponymous 1998 novel by Dennis Lehane, the author known for providing literary sources for numerous high-profile film productions, the film is the fourth in a series dedicated to Boston private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The plot begins when Patrick, played by Casey Affleck, and Angie, played by Michelle Monaghan, become involved in the high-profile case of Helene McCready, played by Amy Ryan, a local woman whose 4-year-old daughter Amanda has disappeared and is presumed to have been abducted. Patrick and Angie are approached by the girl's uncle Lionel, played by Titus Welliver, and aunt Bea, played by Amy Madigan, to take part in the investigation, as Helene, whose life revolves around drugs and alcohol, apparently does not take the situation seriously. Despite their reluctance, Patrick and Angie agree to help and, with the assistance of police detectives Remy Bressant, played by Ed Harris, and Nick Poole, played by John Ashton, soon discover that Helene was involved with local drug dealers and that Amanda might have been abducted to coerce Helene into returning stolen drug money.

Just like with his script for Good Will Hunting, Affleck made a wise decision to use a familiar Boston setting for his directorial debut. This familiarity helped the film look authentic, despite Affleck's relatively limited directorial experience with a somewhat convoluted plot. The result is a film that appears dark and "noirish" yet specifically Bostonian, with its blue-collar characters who, faced with corruption and depravity around them, often take matters into their own hands.

Affleck also made a good decision to cast his younger brother Casey in the role of the film's protagonist. Although Patrick initially appears to be a relatively passive character, and although his relationship with Angie seems relatively undeveloped, he provides a firm moral anchor that helps the audience judge the other, more coloruful characters and deal with the strong moral dilemma presented near the end of the film.

The rest of the cast is also very good, although some, like Morgan Freeman in the role of the police captain, appear to be a little too regal for this dark story. Amy Ryan, almost unrecognizable, is much better in the role of a woman whose irresponsible lifestyle sets up a dark chain of events.

Gone Baby Gone is a satisfactory film but hardly a classic. Affleck does well in the first half, when he sets up the plot, atmosphere, and characters, but in the second half, the film loses much of its tempo, and the plot resolution seems rushed and unconvincing.

Despite these flaws, Gone Baby Gone is a good piece of cinema that showcased Affleck's talent and paved the way for his film career to take a new, more promising, and ultimately more fruitful direction.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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