Gone Baby Gone

This will post will be a review and discussion of sorts on the film Gone Baby Gone, directed by Ben Affleck and staring Casey Affleck. I will admit it.....upon first hearing about this movie last fall, I wrote it off simply due to Affleck's name being attached to the film; however, as it garnered more and more positive reviews (from many of my favorite film sites and critics) I decided to give the movie a shot. Alas....as luck (and timing) would have it, I never did have a chance to see the film in theaters, but thanks to DVD, here it is before me....one of the finest films to come out this past year.

Let us first begin with the story itself (there are minor spoilers, so tread softly). The tale is simple enough: a girl is kidnapped and Casey Affleck's character is hired, by the family to find the daughter of coke addicted mother, played fantastically by Amy Ryan. The tale appears relatively straightforward throughout; however, takes an abrupt hit in the middle. What was once a simple crime film with powerful performances becomes a drama worthy of mention beside the likes of Chinatown and LA Confidential. The film does not try to perform a Shymalan on the audience as the twist is not too far fetched and the details leading up to it make sense. In fact, one could say that part of the film's brilliance is in the fact that it lays the clues right in front of you, but the audience chooses to ignore the hints, not out of ignorance or apathy, but out of hope. From start to finish the film's tale is unrelenting with its rather morose view on the human conscious, that what should be black and white...becomes gray. (Hmm...actually that was spoiler free...never mind).

Every actor in this film instilling the in the audience the belief that they are justified in their actions. Whether it is Casey Affleck's and Ed Harris's rather black and white view on society and how one should behave or Michelle Monaghan's rather "pending the scnerio" ideology....all the characters are presented as being correct in their choices throughout the film. Interestingly, and this is most likely caused by wonderful acting and a well written script, the film makes it impossible for the audience to pass judgment on any of the characters, much less dislike any of those involved...making the film's final twenty minutes all the more unsettling.
The overall presentation throughout the film matches the somber tone of the tale. Ben Affleck does not resort to using any cheap techniques to pull at the heartstrings of his audience (ex: the little girl in Crash) nor does he use a spastic style of cinematography style found in many modern crime films (ex: The Departed). He simply allows the tale to prove to the audience that it is well worth their emotional investment.

It should be noted that while the performances are fantastic (Amy Ryan and Casey Affleck in particular), the real star of this film is the idea of moral ambiguity. There is little black and white in the film (one must watch the film completely to understand this, as it appears to contradict a previous statement), which leaves the viewer unsure not only of the choices made by those on screen, but of those made by society.

Overall it was a fantastic film that should be seen.

B+