review: GONE BABY GONE

Miramax  //  Buy from Amazon.com When four-year-old Amanda McCreary is abducted from Boston's working class Dorchester neighborhood, the girl's aunt and uncle (Amy Madigan and Titus Welliver) hire private detectives Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) to track her down. With the grudging cooperation of Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman), head of the Boston police department's missing children's division, the pair prowls the ugly underbelly of the city, uncovering a disturbing tangle of secrets. Realizing that everyone around them has undisclosed motives for finding the girl, the detectives ultimately risk everything--their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives, to solve the case. I've always been a fan of Ben Affleck - even though I haven't liked all of the films he's been in (or even, truthfully, his performances in some of them), he's always struck me as a regular dude who "made it" yet would still be cool & down to earth to hang out with. Why he would ever want to hang out with little ol' me, I have no idea, but that's besides the point. "Gone Baby Gone" is his first big foray into directing, and it's an impressive debut. It would have been easy (and maybe obvious) for him to choose a lighthearted, buddy-buddy tale for his first turn behind the camera, but he co-wrote some heavy stuff in this film, and is able to deftly maneuver the camera just so to capture the incredible performances he's able to summon from his truly incredible cast. Who impressed me the most was Ben's brother Casey, who is really coming into his own in roles such as this one, and the recent "Jesse James" - he's not just the gooy guy in the "Ocean's 11/12/13" movies anymore. Well-written, well-acted, really well shot, "Gone Baby Gone" is a superb film, but DAMN is it heavy and hard-hitting - this is a film that's going to linger inside my brain for a very long time. One of those films that I'm sure I will never watch again, but am very glad to have sat through it this one time. This Ben Affleck guy might just have a career in Hollywood yet... Video The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is first-rate, delivering a presentation with white whites, dark blacks and crystal-clear detail throughout. Very nice job. Audio The Dolby 5.1 surround mix is top-notch, finding a clean balance between dialogue and the score. Extras audio commentary w/ Affleck & co-writer behind the scenes featurette "Capturing Authenticity" featurette deleted scenes w/ commentary Closing Thoughts Finely-crafted, but tough to watch, film + fine assortment of extras = heavy, heavy viewing (but worthwhile if you're able)