by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
A Rated R 114 min
Adapted from Dennis Lehane’s novel for the screen and directed by Ben Affleck, the complex scenario of Gone Baby Gone explores a special case. When doing the right thing involves a decision that could be construed as morally wrong, but could also be construed as the best thing for the common good in the long run, it presents a gray area of moral ambiguity. This reaches a crisis as a complicated kidnapping conspiracy that takes a child away from an irresponsible crack whore mother. At some point, a detective has to make a decision that will affect the child for the rest of her life. The decision is loaded with long term ramifications. This scenario plays out in a shadowy subterranean drug world as the various elements fit into the puzzle with a shocking resolution.
Ben Affleck’s brother Casey portrays baby-faced, 31-year old private detective Patrick Kenzie, who is hired by the family of an abducted 4-year old girl, Amanda, from the working class Boston-Dorchester neighborhood where Patrick lives. They rationalize that Patrick knows the people in the district better than the cops, so he may be able to find out who abducted the girl. The cops agree to let Patrick work with them on the case. It turns out that the family of the abducted girl was right, Patrick gets into the belly of the beast by penetrating the neighborhood’s underworld of cocaine dealing lowlifes. Patrick’s partner/girlfriend, Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), is also working with him on this important case. Ed Harris plays Det. Remy Bressant, a transplanted Louisiana homicide detective, who, with his partner Nick Poole (John Ashton), reluctantly work with Patrick and Angie. The case is overseen by Boston District Police Captain, Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman).
This is indeed an impressive directorial debut for Ben Affleck working with his brother Casey to create one of the best films of the year. Casey’s nuanced acting is engaging as he enters the hellish drug world in his district to seek information on the missing girl. Casey has a quirky style of acting that lends itself perfectly to this role. Monaghan’s portrayal of Angie, Patrick’s partner/squeeze, is a pivotal role that plays an important part in the resolution of the story. Affleck’s script moves with a steady pace and a strong sense of place through a complex web of evidence and surprises, leaving the viewer trying to put this case together and then becoming frustrated by the radically changing situations. Clearly, the case is more than just an abduction, but figuring out its various elements is engrossing cinema. The script is dialogue and character-driven, so every utterance out of the mouths of the actors is important to understanding the big picture.
For Patrick, the case is not adding up, and he is having misgivings about his colleagues Still, his primary focus is returning the girl to her mother Helene, played skillfully by Amy Ryan. Viewers will hate Helene, who perhaps doesn’t deserve Amanda, but nonetheless, she is the girl’s mother and therefore biologically linked to the child. As time goes on, finding Amanda alive seems less likely, but Patrick is dedicated to resolving the case because of his strong emotional commitment to Amanda and her mom. He knows her well and doesn’t forgive her for her drug use and irresponsibility to the child, but he believes the child belongs with her. This strong sense of neighborhood loyalty is a factor later in the story as Patrick gets closer to the ugly truth.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
