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Craig Younkin
Movie Review
Gone, Baby, Gone
By Craig Younkin Published October 20, 2007
US Release: October 19, 2007
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Starring: Morgan Freeman , Casey Affleck , Ed Harris , Michelle Monaghan
R violence, drug content and pervasive language
Running Time: 114 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $20,300,218
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Starring: Morgan Freeman , Casey Affleck , Ed Harris , Michelle Monaghan
R violence, drug content and pervasive language
Running Time: 114 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $20,300,218
A
This is the best movie of the year so far and I think it will be hard to find another that’s more compelling.
Mr. Ben Affleck may just have earned himself one more Oscar than Matt Damon at the end of the year. Casey Affleck (Ben's younger brother) plays Patrick Kenzie, a private investigator who also happens to be the boyfriend of his own partner, Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan). As the film opens, the two are approached by Lionel and Beatrice McCready (Titus Welliver and Amy Madigan), whose niece Amanda (Madeline O'Brien) has been kidnapped while her drugged addicted mother (Amy Ryan) was scoring. Reluctantly the couple decide to take the case, working directly with the Dorcester Police Chief (Morgan Freeman) and the lead detective (Ed Harris) on the case. Tragedy and tough choices lay ahead.
As a director, Ben Affleck apparently has a dark side that nobody knew about. Affleck has set his film right in the shit, creating an atmosphere of drug dealers, crack whores, murder, pedophilia and various other forms of human waste. Patrick, played in a pitch-perfect performance of restrained anger and disgust by Casey Affleck, must meet all of this head-on in order to solve Amanda’s disappearance. It’s a mystery that leads to one intense scene and one big plot twist after another, but the real heart of the picture is the sadness that Ben Affleck captures. That there is a real sickness to some people and an evil that children are forced to contend with. "Gone Baby Gone" is as provocative as it is thrilling, especially in its last half-hour where the line between what is moral and what is the best possible outcome becomes skewed. This is a movie that will challenge people, both in its disturbing nature and in its ideas.
The performances are also fantastic. Amy Ryan is a key standout as this negligible druggie. This is a character people will struggle with. There are moments where you really hate her but others where you pity her. It’s a testament to the screenplay, which Ben Affleck co-wrote (Could he receive two Oscars this year?), that the characters come across as flawed yet genuine at the same time. It also helps when you have two great actors on your side as well, Freeman and Harris each doing powerful work in supporting roles.
"Gone Baby Gone" is a surprise. Critics said it was great but I would say it’s more "great going on shocking." Affleck really goes above and beyond here, showing outstanding clarity and vision as a filmmaker. Unfortunately, his string of crappy films in the past also sort of contributed to the shock of how surprising this movie is. Who knew he had it in him? Regardless, I came out thinking he did a masterful job with this material. This is the best movie of the year so far and I think it will be hard to find another that’s more compelling. I have to hand it to Mr. Gigli; he’s moving up in the world.
As a director, Ben Affleck apparently has a dark side that nobody knew about. Affleck has set his film right in the shit, creating an atmosphere of drug dealers, crack whores, murder, pedophilia and various other forms of human waste. Patrick, played in a pitch-perfect performance of restrained anger and disgust by Casey Affleck, must meet all of this head-on in order to solve Amanda’s disappearance. It’s a mystery that leads to one intense scene and one big plot twist after another, but the real heart of the picture is the sadness that Ben Affleck captures. That there is a real sickness to some people and an evil that children are forced to contend with. "Gone Baby Gone" is as provocative as it is thrilling, especially in its last half-hour where the line between what is moral and what is the best possible outcome becomes skewed. This is a movie that will challenge people, both in its disturbing nature and in its ideas.
The performances are also fantastic. Amy Ryan is a key standout as this negligible druggie. This is a character people will struggle with. There are moments where you really hate her but others where you pity her. It’s a testament to the screenplay, which Ben Affleck co-wrote (Could he receive two Oscars this year?), that the characters come across as flawed yet genuine at the same time. It also helps when you have two great actors on your side as well, Freeman and Harris each doing powerful work in supporting roles.
"Gone Baby Gone" is a surprise. Critics said it was great but I would say it’s more "great going on shocking." Affleck really goes above and beyond here, showing outstanding clarity and vision as a filmmaker. Unfortunately, his string of crappy films in the past also sort of contributed to the shock of how surprising this movie is. Who knew he had it in him? Regardless, I came out thinking he did a masterful job with this material. This is the best movie of the year so far and I think it will be hard to find another that’s more compelling. I have to hand it to Mr. Gigli; he’s moving up in the world.
Craig's Grade: A
Craig's Overall Grading: 340 graded movies
| A | 10.9% | |
| B | 41.8% | |
| C | 31.8% | |
| D | 15.3% | |
| F | 0.3% |
