Based on the Dennis Lehane novel about two Boston area detectives investigating a little girl’s kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally. Gone Baby Gone is a movie that starts out with a lot of promise, I was really excited to see it. 45 Minutes into the movie, I wasn’t really all that interested.
The Plot : Casey Affleck plays Patrick Kenzie, an inexperienced private detective, hired to find a young, kidnapped girl. With the help of girlfriend Michelle Monaghan, he hits the streets uncovering a web of mystery around the people involved with the police case.
The Truth : Michelle Monaghan and Casey Affleck are wonderful actors, and perform a wonderful job. Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris deliver solid performances, although Freeman’s role in the movie is limited.
The story, however, is .. not that eventful. You’ll probably figure out the real people behind the kidnappings fairly quickly as I did, leaving the mystery out of the film. The film is getting lots of Oscar talk, I’m not sure it deserves all the respect its getting.
The movie has an interesting collection of characters, including the mother strung out on drugs, the typical crooked cops and drug dealers.
The Action : Rare. You’d expect a dark drama/thriller to have a decent amount of action, but it doesn’t.
Favorite Scenes : None really. The movie wasn’t that memorable.
The Verdict : {Warning : Spoiler Alert} Gone Baby Gone is decent, but slow. The ending was a little to uneventful for my liking and rather unbelievable. Without ruining too much, I’d have a hard time believing Monaghan’s character doing what she did. The actions of Capt. Jack Doyle {Morgan Freeman} really didn’t make any sense.
The plot ended up being rather weak, too weak for my liking. If you think this movie is going to be like Mystic River, you’d be wrong. Its a rental and an average one at best.
Gone baby goneCasey Affleck; Michelle Monaghan; Morgan Freeman; John Ashton and Ed HarrisBen Affleck’s string of acting failures in Hollywood certainly didn’t affect his behind-the-scenes abilities. In Gone Baby Gone, Affleck wrote the screenplay and directed what is quite possibly an Oscar worthy film.In a style that is both unique and thought provoking, Affleck manages a stellar cast to produce a phenomenal story. The film is basically about a missing little girl named Amanda.A druggie mother’s child suddenly disappears, sending the media into a frenzy and the inhabitants of this small Boston town into panic. The action takes place in a harsh world: a place of drugs, prostitution and impoverishment.The help of a young detective and his partner is enlisted to assist the authorities. Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) leads the challenge with a superb performance. It is the Affleck charm that carries the film right through to its deeply disturbing conclusion.Morgan Freeman comes up trumps yet again. As captain of the police force he wastes little time in asserting his authority in the film. In typical Freeman style there is a complex psychological thriller unfolding. The supporting cast is superb. It is perhaps Ed Harris who delivers the most powerful performance in the film as Detective Remy Bressant.What is right is actually wrong; what is clear is murky. This is the premise of Gone Baby Gone.Captivating viewing for a discerning audience!