Dominatio Per Malum

Gone Baby Gone (2007) 8/10

Gone Baby Gone was directed by Ben Affleck. Yes, that Ben Affleck who starred in the critically ravaged Gigli and a host of duds like Pearl Harbour, etc. Of course Affleck did have some good movies in the past, especially during those days where he collaborated with Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. But Affleck has clearly been losing his edge as a bankable star and this time he moves to the director’s seat in his first time as a director. And he is pretty darn good as a director, if Gone Baby Gone is any indication. There has already been precedent- Sofia Coppola’s disastrous attempt at acting in Godfather 3 would lead her to the director’s chair behind successes like Lost In Translation. Ben Affleck is really good as a director and i was suprised by how enjoyable this film was. The script itself is based on Dennis Lehane’s novel (who also wrote Mystic River), so the story itself is solid.

Ben chose his brother Casey Affleck to star in this movie, and directors who choose to cast their family members usually screw up especially if it is a major role. Again, Godfather 3 is the cautionary example. Thankfully, Casey Affleck can act, and his surprisingly youthful looks suit the role very well. Casey plays Patrick Kenzie, a PI hired to find a missing girl who unravels more that he can handle.

Much of the film is an engaging tale which tells of the kidnap of a child and the efforts to find her. There are twists and turns in the film, and they aren’t particularly groundbreaking twists, but the movie does take a surprising turn in the last act which transforms this film from a police procedural to a heart-breaking drama. It poses a moral and ethical question to the viewers at the end which i didn’t expect and it is the final act that brings this drama up a whole notch. This is a morally murky film that will challenge viewers and make them think. I know it certainly made me think, and the closest analogy to this film would probably be Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby which is similar in structure. Its one of my favorite films of the year, and a movie that not only engages and entertains you but also makes you think. For the record, i would probably have decided differently from Patrick Kenzie’s character. But is that the right choice? Can there ever be a right choice? This is a film that will spark moral discussions, and i can’t say that of many films.

“The result is a superior police procedural, and something more — a study in devious human nature.”- Roger Ebert

“For all the rough-and-tumble action sequences, skillfully choreographed by Affleck, Gone Baby Gone is a thinking man’s crime film, whose deeply etched characters and brilliant plotting have a near-Shakespearean power.”- FilmJournal