MOVIEGOER REVIEW: GONE BABY GONE
BREAKING NEWS: Ben Affleck can direct a movie. "Gone Baby Gone," his first effort behind the camera (he also co-wrote the screenplay with Aaron Stockard), is an impressive risk. After all, it was Clint Eastwood who adapted a Dennis Lehane novel not long ago. That film, "Mystic River," garnered 6 Oscar nominations. Like Eastwood, Affleck doesn't only succeed with this film about Boston's inner-darkness, he hits a home run. His brother Casey is a delight in the lead role, and he's accompanied by Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and the inimitable Amy Ryan, whose Oscar nomination is a foregone conclusion. Full of twists and turns and sharp dialogue, "Gone Baby Gone" is an enthralling police drama that keeps you thinking and guessing until the very end. And as much it is a journey into Boston's inner-darkness (Affleck used real places and real Bostonians in much of the film), it is also a journey into man's inner-darkness; a stark summation about the judgments and decisions we make. Ben Affleck's film, unlike many he's appeared in recently, is a must-see.
BREAKING NEWS: Ben Affleck can direct a movie. "Gone Baby Gone," his first effort behind the camera (he also co-wrote the screenplay with Aaron Stockard), is an impressive risk. After all, it was Clint Eastwood who adapted a Dennis Lehane novel not long ago. That film, "Mystic River," garnered 6 Oscar nominations. Like Eastwood, Affleck doesn't only succeed with this film about Boston's inner-darkness, he hits a home run. His brother Casey is a delight in the lead role, and he's accompanied by Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and the inimitable Amy Ryan, whose Oscar nomination is a foregone conclusion. Full of twists and turns and sharp dialogue, "Gone Baby Gone" is an enthralling police drama that keeps you thinking and guessing until the very end. And as much it is a journey into Boston's inner-darkness (Affleck used real places and real Bostonians in much of the film), it is also a journey into man's inner-darkness; a stark summation about the judgments and decisions we make. Ben Affleck's film, unlike many he's appeared in recently, is a must-see.
