Garrett Williams Reviews: Gone Baby Gone

First time director Ben Affleck takes a cue from fellow actor turned director Clint Eastwood in adapting a novel by Dennis “Mystic River” Leheane. Gone Baby Gone, much like Mystic River, is an authentic and gritty crime drama with a character much larger than any of its big name actors. Although Casey Affleck, recently promoted to Oscar worthy status (”The Assassination Of Jesse James…”), gives an exceptional and driving performance as amateur PI Patrick Kenzie. The true star of the film is the community of Southie, long time stomping ground to the Affleck brothers, they pay homage to their city by casting its residents as extras and by shooting on location in South Boston. This thrilling story of abduction and moral responsibility in a tough neighborhood couldn’t be more authentic and compelling.

Beginning with a documentary style montage of the cities inner workings, reminiscent of “Kids”, the opening sequence of the film draws the viewer into the daily grind of this urban setting. We meet two of its inhabitants, the aforementioned Patrick Kenzie and girlfriend/business partner Angie Gennaro, played by Michelle Monahagn (who somehow survived “The Heartbreak Kid”, professionally unscathed). Our two protagonists are approached with a case by Bea McCready (Amy Madigan) and her husband Lionel (Titus Welliver), aunt and uncle to the recently missing 4-year old girl Amanda McCready. After they reluctantly accept the job we meet Cpt. Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman), who is overseeing the police investigation with his specially formed child abduction unit. Patrick and Angie are paired with detective’s Remy Broussard (Ed Harris) and Nick Polle (John Ashton) to find the lost girl. The mother of Amanda, Helene McCready (Amy Ryan), proves to be ineffective (but brilliantly effective performance wise!) in pointing our searchers in the right direction, so they take to the streets utilizing their connections to the crime ridden underworld of their neighborhood. Proving that they are naively willing to do anything and everything within their ability to find the missing girl, Patrick and Angie are duped into a false resolution that only leaves them more determined to pursue this case on their own terms.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film! It was visually, intellectually and emotionally stimulating all on the same level, in all the right places. The risky subject matter could have easily slipped into melodrama, had it not been dished out amongst each characters individual reaction and resolve. The devastating events affect all of the characters, and the audience, in many different ways, and there are many different perspectives to keep us thinking and following along, eventually, without bias. The film maintains an even keel and holds itself together in some of the most tricky scenes, where some would have taken a misstep and alienated or even lost their audience, Affleck keeps the momentum going. Scenes like the mother finally coming to grips with the loss of her child, and the fact that she may never see her again, though emotional, its not over done. As well as a scene where our hero is staring down the barrel of a gun, he retains his cool and talks his way out of the situation, and we believe it. The direction is focused, the cinematography is exquisite (John Toll, what do you expect?), it’s masterfully edited (William Goldenberg, a personal favorite) and every character is portrayed with depth and honesty. Overall a great success of a film! A big pat on the back for Ben Affleck, as well as his top notch cast and crew for staying true to the art form and telling the story with little to no Hollywoodization.