Gone Baby Gone Review

Gone Baby Gone, is one of those rare films that makes you think long and hard about the decisions which the characters must face.  Ben Affleck decided to direct a story written by Dennis Lehane, the same author who wrote Mystic River.  If you have seen that film, then you know what you are getting into with this film based almost entirely in the city of Boston.  This is where the movie really shines, as it shows everything from the point-of-view of local people, and stars an original in the form of Casey Affleck.  The most important thing is to not get bogged down by the background of either Affleck, but focus on the supporting cast of Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Michelle Monaghan who really elevate the film through poignant roles that bring not only added realism to the script, but since all are from a dramatic background, draw you into their characters.

The story puts the focus on a guy named Patrick Kenzie (C. Affleck), who has been working as a private detective with his girlfriend Angie as an assistant.  They have worked local cases, but when a girl from the neighborhood disappears, her grandmother seeks him out to help with the investigation around the area.  With the police detectives coming up empty in regards to the missing child, It seems like Patrick could have his work cut out for him, but he knows a different element of people in the city, and could have some avenues of information that others would not.  Together the couple begin to pursue leads of their own, and come face to face with the realization that they may be undertaking something that could not only shake them to their core, but put their own lives at risk in the process.

From the surface, this film may appear to be a simple "missing child" story, but it goes far deeper than that in both the cinematic aspect as well as character development.  With each turn in the story we find out more about what has happened, and the audience gets to watch the central characters begin to transform through the hardships of this investigation.  To be honest, the film is hard to watch at times because of the inherent themes, but it is so well written that you have a hard time not questioning what you would do in the situations where the characters are forced to decide one direction or another.  The acting is simply superb, and honestly, I think this is the best I have ever seen Ed Harris perform on screen.  With a great supporting cast, Casey Affleck is really able to do his own thing and get away with it, and in the end you find yourself thinking that this is one gem of a film.  Not only that, but you are going to leave the viewing thinking about this one for days.