Gone Baby Gone

Ben Affleck makes me nervous. When I head into one of his movies, I ready myself in advance to be disappointed, at least by his performance. He isn't God awful, but certainly not someone I praise after leaving the theater. But then Gone Baby Gone came along, and I found myself eating my own words. Sure, he didn't have an acting part in the film, but he did help write the film, and was the man behind the camera, which is arguably more impressive. The film is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, an author whose work is among my favorite. So I was shocked to hear Affleck would be the main creative force behind the movie adaptation, especially because the novel is in the middle of a series. But Affleck and his crew handled every aspect deftly, making a dramatic and exciting film. His brother, Casey Affleck, stars with Michelle Monaghan, and I will say the younger Affleck has the acting chops Ben doesn't. He turns in a wonderful performance, one that shocked me as much as Ben's creative turnaround. The story involves child kidnappings and murders, which makes for some uncomfortable moments, all of which enhance the overall quality of the film. Like I said before, the novel Gone Baby Gone is the middle of a series, and while Affleck (of the Ben variety) morphed it into the first, I would love to see more. Maybe one day.

Genre - Drama (3.75)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (4)