I'm going to be honest, I really wasn't overly exited to see "Gone Baby Gone." From the previews, it looked like a competent--if familiar--genre picture. I was galvanized, finally, to see the film based on Amy Ryan's practical sweep of the award season's Best Supporting Actress Prizes. The Affleck brothers, Ben as Director and Casey as Star, did nothing to alleviate my limited expectations. But something quite unexpected happened--my opinion completely changed as I was caught up in the twists of this genuinely good sleeper. Ben Affleck has generated a brisk, tough and uncompromising film and Casey Affleck has turned himself into a bona fide leading man! And although not a flawless film, I ended up loving "Gone Baby Gone."
When a child goes missing, the community of Dorchester gets caught in a media frenzy. With Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris as officials in charge of the investigation, Casey Affleck (as a local detective) is brought in by the family as additional help. Having been raised in the area, it is felt that these contacts may give him better access to and communication with the tightlipped Boston neighborhood. Immediately, the story starts to unravel and the sympathetic mother (Amy Ryan) turns out to be not so sympathetic. The route the film follows takes us to some familiar territory but also to unchartered waters. The film dares to raise moral and ethical questions and presents a terrific and thoroughly uncompromising ending! The film's final moments put this head and shoulders above traditional Hollywood product. And I give Ben Affleck full credit for not bending to a more stereotypical conclusion.
"Gone Baby Gone" is actually the fourth in a series of novels by crime writer Dennis Lehane featuring private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. It is, however, the first to be treated to a big screen adaptation. Those familiar with the novels know that the Kenzie/Gennaro dynamic provides much emotion and conflict. Their relationship is almost as important as any case that they work. Fans of this aspect of Lehane's novels, therefore, might be a bit disappointed. In making this stand-alone film, Gennaro is largely marginalized and the impact of what happens to them as a couple isn't as significant to the story as it is in the book. That said, film and novels are two different mediums and "Gone Baby Gone" as a film still works exceedingly well in its own right.
Casey Affleck is not the conventional actor one would picture for this role. Small in stature, relaxed in delivery--his offbeat presence actually makes "Gone Baby Gone" even more intriguing. As he is not a predictable "leading man," you're never quite sure what he's going to do. I found this lack of expectation to be quite invigorating and led me to accept and appreciate the twists of the film to a greater degree. With "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," this was Casey's year to redefine himself. Freeman, Harris, Ryan, Amy Madigan, and Michelle Monaghan (as Gennaro) all give impassioned performances. With a tight script and solid direction, "Gone Baby Gone" is a surprisingly tough film--and I mean that in all the best ways.