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Genre: Crime / Drama

Cast & Credits
Patrick Kenzie: Casey Affleck
Angie Gennaro: Michelle Monaghan
Jack Doyle: Morgan Freeman
Remy Bressant: Ed Harris
Helene McCready: Amy Ryan

Miramax Films presents a movie directed by Ben Affleck. Written by Affleck and Aaron Stockard. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.

Running time: 115 minutes.

There are movies that start off with a bang and movies that keep you waiting. Some build character through to a storyline and some build a storyline on ambience or a background score. Some start with the protagonist’s voiceover, and some start nice and quiet. Gone Baby Gone did all of these things and much more, right from the first few seconds. The result was goosebumps.

To say that Ben Affleck must’ve worked extra hard on the beginning sequence for setting the pace for this magnificent crime drama would be an understatement. He’s put everything into this film and it’s evident in every single shot. And giving you enough time to dwell on the setting was just the beginning. Based on a book of the same name by novelist Dennis Lehane of the Mystic River fame, Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard have adapted this beautiful story for screen with utmost proficiency. So all those people who thought that Matt Damon did most of the work on Good Will Hunting… you can stick a sock in it.

Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Monaghan) are two Boston based private detectives specialising in missing people cases. When a 4-year-old girl goes missing, they are contacted by the child’s aunt to investigate. With some serious reservations, they take up the case. After meeting with Jack Doyle (Freeman) the head of the Crimes against Children task force, they are assigned to work with his men Remy Bressant (Harris) and Nick Poole (John Ashton). We then come to know that the child’s mother leads a very dangerous life – she’s an alcoholic and a drug addict, a habit which eventually gets her involved in a heist that becomes an important element of the story. I wish I could get into more details of the story but that would ruin it for you.

What I will get into, though, is Ben Affleck’s impeccable direction. With a perfect cast, a heartwarming background score by the very talented Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek series, Man on Fire) and sensational cinematography by two-time Oscar winner John Toll (Braveheart, Legends of the Fall) Affleck creates pure magic on screen. Casey Affleck proves his maturity in a role that I can’t imagine anyone else doing. He’s patient, forthcoming and genuine and often surprises us with his brilliant execution of this profound character.

Michelle Monaghan plays a character unlike many others she has played before – but somewhere in the cliché that she fits into, there’s an earnestness that is so warm that for a few minutes, you’d think this was reality television. Morgan Freeman plays his role with so much strength that I was beginning to worry that he would steal the show. But with shorter screen time than he would’ve usually been awarded, his prominence is justified. Watching Ed Harris has always been a pleasure and this time was no different. He’s intense. Madly intense.

There are twists in the story that were well concealed. Even though they stare at you in the face through the whole movie, you don’t see them. And just when you think that all has been revealed, you’re surprised again. And again. The action scenes in the film, although few, are gut wrenchingly real. And the varied shades of psychological darkness that this film takes you through are very murky. But in the midst of this chaos, we begin to realise how good Affleck is at conveying these moods.

So all in all, this is already one of my favourite movies. It has a varied range of emotions, wonderful shots, good music, great characters and amazing actors. If you’re missing this movie, then be assured that you’re missing a lot.

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