Gone Baby Gone (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Gone Baby Gone' is a crime drama directed by Ben Affleck; yep, you read that correctly. This film is based on the Dennis Lehane novel (who also wrote Mystic River) about 2 Boston detectives investigating the abduction of a 4 yr. old girl. These detectives are Patrick Kenzie, & his girlfriend, Angela Gennaro (Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan). They initially don't want the case. But when the girl's Aunt Bea pleads for an alternative to the cops, they open the investigation that will ultimately ruin both professional careers & personal lives. The film is solidly acted; though, individual personalities are better defined in Clint Eastwood's 'Mystic River'. The direction is largely 'hit' & sometimes 'miss' (dynamics issues). In the end, this is an intriguing, but morally depleting story.
Dorchester, Boston looks to be one of, if not 'the' toughest neighborhood(s) in America. Ben Affleck casts legions of horrid, nameless locals who smatter the screen as a prologue explains the situation involving Amanda's disappearance. 5 minutes into the film, and already reluctant to take this case, Patrick & Angie meet Amanda's bitter, drug-addicted, lush of a mother, Helene (Amy Ryan). She lives in utter squalor; like most people on her block. They also meet stoic 'Crimes Against Children' police chief Doyle (Morgan Freeman), and 2 crusty cops, Remy Bressant & Nick Poole (Ed Harris, John Ashton). It's impossible to divulge much plot here. Elements of surprise, flashback, misdirection, foreshadowing, consequence, twists, turns, & irony are employed as the plot thickens.
You KNOW that some of these people appear good (but may not be), and vice-versa; your mind is always reeling. Helene is a low-class, acid-tongued woman who 'seems' concerned, but you know she's itching to scoot to the saloon, rather than worry about her daughter's potential death. Patrick recalls her from high school & has a sort of built-in memory/feeling of connection with her (her type, her crowd, her upbringing). He wants to find the little girl & return her ... at all costs. Doyle, Bressant, & Poole are law enforcers, that said, what can 'they' do to ensure little Amanda's safety? The final Act divulges well concealed secrets. And everybody (who's still alive) will bear the brunt of the startling ethical dilemmas and harsh reality of their situation. Some tragedies are worse than others.
Now, when the movie 'hits', it hits hard. Some of the 'misdirection', 'elements of surprise', & 'flashback' that I've mentioned is filmed in exciting, nail-biting, can't-peel-your-eyes-from-the-screen sequences. The problem is, while the entire cast does well (particularly Amy Ryan & Ed Harris), several portions in the middle of the film fall flat; whether it's the fault of 'how' they were filmed, what they said, how they said it, etc. In other words, the police procedural aspect of the film bores, at times. I was intermittently involved, then bored, compelled, bored, riveted, bored, jolted, haunted, & then ultimately conflicted (which IS what the film's end asks of its' viewers, anyway). Trust me, there's MANY things to like about Ben Affleck's directorial debut (and this movie); it's just that not everything worked.
Now, I use the term 'deeply disturbing' about movies, a lot. But this time, I mean it in the kind of sense that numbs me, rather than exhilarating me with its moral complexity, it's broken hearts, it's ended dreams, it's 'no good deed goes unpunished' method, and finally, a depicted hopelessness. 'Gone Baby Gone' is plausible, and well-thought out. And hey, some of my favorite movies have catastrophic conclusions; but this one instills such a sense of moral gloom, that it makes you wonder 'who will benefit from reading this book or watching this movie'? Perhaps someone who gets a high out of ironic, melancholic, gothic, emotional pain. This is a quality film. But the only cinematic satisfaction you feel as you leave the theater is knowing that you didn't just watch a movie as abysmal as Rendition.
Dorchester, Boston looks to be one of, if not 'the' toughest neighborhood(s) in America. Ben Affleck casts legions of horrid, nameless locals who smatter the screen as a prologue explains the situation involving Amanda's disappearance. 5 minutes into the film, and already reluctant to take this case, Patrick & Angie meet Amanda's bitter, drug-addicted, lush of a mother, Helene (Amy Ryan). She lives in utter squalor; like most people on her block. They also meet stoic 'Crimes Against Children' police chief Doyle (Morgan Freeman), and 2 crusty cops, Remy Bressant & Nick Poole (Ed Harris, John Ashton). It's impossible to divulge much plot here. Elements of surprise, flashback, misdirection, foreshadowing, consequence, twists, turns, & irony are employed as the plot thickens.
You KNOW that some of these people appear good (but may not be), and vice-versa; your mind is always reeling. Helene is a low-class, acid-tongued woman who 'seems' concerned, but you know she's itching to scoot to the saloon, rather than worry about her daughter's potential death. Patrick recalls her from high school & has a sort of built-in memory/feeling of connection with her (her type, her crowd, her upbringing). He wants to find the little girl & return her ... at all costs. Doyle, Bressant, & Poole are law enforcers, that said, what can 'they' do to ensure little Amanda's safety? The final Act divulges well concealed secrets. And everybody (who's still alive) will bear the brunt of the startling ethical dilemmas and harsh reality of their situation. Some tragedies are worse than others.
Now, when the movie 'hits', it hits hard. Some of the 'misdirection', 'elements of surprise', & 'flashback' that I've mentioned is filmed in exciting, nail-biting, can't-peel-your-eyes-from-the-screen sequences. The problem is, while the entire cast does well (particularly Amy Ryan & Ed Harris), several portions in the middle of the film fall flat; whether it's the fault of 'how' they were filmed, what they said, how they said it, etc. In other words, the police procedural aspect of the film bores, at times. I was intermittently involved, then bored, compelled, bored, riveted, bored, jolted, haunted, & then ultimately conflicted (which IS what the film's end asks of its' viewers, anyway). Trust me, there's MANY things to like about Ben Affleck's directorial debut (and this movie); it's just that not everything worked.
Now, I use the term 'deeply disturbing' about movies, a lot. But this time, I mean it in the kind of sense that numbs me, rather than exhilarating me with its moral complexity, it's broken hearts, it's ended dreams, it's 'no good deed goes unpunished' method, and finally, a depicted hopelessness. 'Gone Baby Gone' is plausible, and well-thought out. And hey, some of my favorite movies have catastrophic conclusions; but this one instills such a sense of moral gloom, that it makes you wonder 'who will benefit from reading this book or watching this movie'? Perhaps someone who gets a high out of ironic, melancholic, gothic, emotional pain. This is a quality film. But the only cinematic satisfaction you feel as you leave the theater is knowing that you didn't just watch a movie as abysmal as Rendition.