MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Neo-Noir Crime Thriller/Stars: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Madeline O’Brien, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver, Slaine, Edi Gathegi, Matthew Maher, Mark Margolis, Michael K. Williams/Runtime: 114 minutes

I think it can be safely said dear reader that in the long-gone year of 2007, noted actor Ben Affleck’s career was not in the same place as it is today. That’s because even though the year prior this distinct talent had earned solid notice from the film reviewing community for his turn as ill-fated OG Superman performer George Reeves in the noir Hollywoodland, there was still a fair amount of those who thought that he was just going to turn right around and give both movie goers and the aforementioned movie reviewing community another movie in the vein of 2003’s Gigli. Instead though, we see that Affleck either had other ideas or was just tired of being mentioned in the same sentence as the aforementioned cinematic fiasco and as a result had decided to do something completely different. By that I mean the man decided to step away from the camera and instead step behind the camera for a change and take on the task of directing an adaptation of a novel from iconic writer Dennis Lehane known as Gone Baby Gone. Suffice it to say that for me dear reader the idea at the time that the overzealous bully from Dazed and Confused to say nothing of one of the writers of the masterpiece Good Will Hunting as well as the guy who was the bomb in 1998’s Phantoms (if you know, you know) did make me raise a bit of an eyebrow Dwayne Johnson style. Having seen the finished film multiple times since then, including last night if you can believe that, however I can safely say that my initial skepticism has now been safely put to rest and even tucked away to utilize more productively elsewhere. I say that dear reader because Gone Baby Gone is absolutely terrific. Indeed it says something about a slice of cinema like this when yes it does prove to be quite the engrossing sit, but at the same time it also is a movie where both the story and the cast of characters are not exaggerated stereotypes that we have seen time and time again. Rather, the story is plausible and the characters come across more like actual human beings would in the situations that occur throughout the narrative. More than that though, this slice of cinema not only scores as a riveting mystery that I can promise you won’t have figured out, but also an in-depth look at both areas where we as society are still desperately needing to improve as well as that pesky moral dilemma in the form of what is right legally vs. what is right morally. Suffice it to say that it might have a few issues here and there, but with wonderful work both behind and in front of the camera, Gone Baby Gone is undoubtedly one slice of cinema that is prepared to sink its hooks into you and not let go even after the credits have begun to roll…..

The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, Gone Baby Gone gets its intriguing narrative underway by introducing us to our hero who takes the shape and form of a 31-year old fresh faced yet snarky to a t young man named Patrick Kenzie. Patrick, we soon learn, is a resident of the neighborhood of Dorchester in Baston ehhh Boston. A place, among other attributes, where (much like a certain bar in the Boston area) everyone knows everyone to some degree or another. A useful thing for our hero since he, along with his professional/personal partner Angie, happens to be a member of that distinct group of individuals in the world known as private investigators. Yet despite being quite small time for their particular craft, we see that soon changes for our heroes when they are approached by a woman named Bea McCready and her devoted husband Lionel. It seems that three days prior to the start of our story their niece, a four-year old by the name of Amanda, was kidnapped from the house that she lives in with her mom Helene and has not been seen nor heard from since. We soon learn that, despite the case being one that isn’t entirely the usual kind of case that our intrepid duo take on, the reason Bea and Lionel are coming to Patrick is because they would like him to supplement the investigation currently on-going by members of Boston PD with one of his own. Their reasoning being that not only is Patrick more intimately familiar with the neighborhood as a whole, but also with particular individuals within the neighborhood who might be comfortable speaking with him rather than say their friendly neighborhood guys and gals in blue if you get my drift. As a result we see that, despite the reservations of a Captain Doyle on the police force, our heroes are reluctantly permitted to work alongside the pair of detectives that are currently investigating Amanda’s case. By choosing to work this particular case though, we see that our heroes are doing more than aiding in the search for a missing child. Rather, they are taking their first steps into a puzzle populated by local drug lords, missing drug money, and a series of twists and turns that lead them to not only a jaw-dropping resolution, but also force our pair to ponder a very difficult question. As to what that question is and what all the pieces come to reveal about this missing child those are two things I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..

Now right off the bat, I guess I should point out that for his first time behind the camera Ben Affleck managed to knock it completely out of the park. Yes you can claim that there is a degree of wistfulness on his part with the opening looks at both the actual city and a lot of the real people who live there, but thankfully we see that the nostalgia isn’t able to take away his concentration on the story that he wants to tell. A fact that quickly becomes apparent with how Affleck’s concentration is swiftly able to zero in on the key people at the heart of this mystery whilst also ensuring that they all are given more than a fair bit of nuance and dimension to them so that they come across less as archetypes and more as three-dimensional human beings. Even with that in mind though, praise must be given to Affleck for his skillful job at making the city of Boston very much a character in this movie especially in regards to two distinct elements. Those being not only his casting of actual people from the area as either extras or even secondary characters in the movie itself, but also his brilliant job at showcasing the distinct subtleties, humor, inherent loyalty, and localism that are key components to life in this area. Indeed, more than a lot of other slices of cinema set in this iconic city, it should be said that this is one film that definitely feels, looks, and even sounds genuine in how it showcases the distinct working-class communities within Boston city limits. It should also be mentioned here that even though this slice of cinema’s narrative can be both quite complex to say nothing of especially twisty, the writing team on board manages to do a great job at ensuring that what is occurring on screen is fairly comprehensible whist also including both a fair amount of sardonic comedy whilst layering the whole thing with a terrific atmosphere made up of equal parts unease, contemplation, melancholy, and intrigue all in one. Yet perhaps the element behind the camera that is the most noteworthy is the complicated morality that runs through seemingly the entirety of the film. Indeed there are more than a few moments throughout the movie where you, much like the main character, will definitely find yourself having some kind of internal argument about the morality behind certain choices that were made by both other characters as well as themselves. This is also the case with how this slice of cinema chooses to wrap everything up. Indeed I’m not going to go into spoilers by any stretch so you can definitely put those pitch forks and torches down now, but I will definitely say that you shouldn’t be surprised if you find yourself endlessly debating this particular ending for quite a while. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in a fairly poignant musical accompaniment, shrewd work from the editing department, and appropriately gloomy with just the right tint of darkness cinematography it’s clear to me that the work done behind the camera does an absolutely outstanding job at bringing the world of the story to say nothing of its distinct intricacies vividly to life.

Of course, the other big element that works in this slice of cinema’s favor would undoubtedly have to be the top-flight cast of players assembled in front of the camera. This starts with, in the lead role of Patrick, Ben’s brother Casey Affleck and honestly he is really good in this. Indeed in the role, Casey Affleck gives us a young man who is constantly either looked down or just viewed as unprofessional due to his fresh-faced appearance yet who time and time again shows that he is both tougher and a heck of a lot more intelligent than people perceive him to be. More than that though, Affleck does a terrific job at showcasing a young man who, despite residing firmly in that distinct grey area of criminal investigation, is finally given a genuine test in the form of having to grapple with a few significant choices throughout that really help to showcase the core theme of the film. Suffice it to say that I know he has had his issues as of late, but there is also no doubt in my mind that Casey Affleck does a wonderful job here at playing this conflicted low-budget private eye who finds that his conscience and sense of justice might just make him unable to fully accept that sometimes what is right legally might not be the right thing morally and vice versa. Now I do think that, in the role of Patrick’s girlfriend/P.I. partner Angie, Michelle Monaghan does do a good job with the material that she is given, but at the same time I also think that this slice of cinema’s narrative doesn’t really provide her as much to do as the majority of the other characters in this other than offer up an opposing point of view for all of us to consider. Other than that as well as one other key moment in the film though, all the script seems to paint her as is nothing more than Patrick’s partner who is able to be the cool, calculated, and diplomatic perspective to Patrick’s gung-ho, snarky, and hot-headed approach to things. With that in mind though, perhaps the trinity of performances that are most deserving of mention here are the ones given by Amy Ryan as well as screen icons Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris respectively. Indeed, in the role of Amanda’s mom Helen, Amy Ryan is absolutely phenomenal here as a character that is definitely the dictionary definition of complicated. This is because while she is very much a woman whose standing as a “loving mother” to say nothing of a “good person” is definitely in question throughout the movie, she also does show from time to time a degree of humanity and vulnerability as well. Suffice it to say that it’s a very complex performance and one that I have no doubt will leave you polarized by film’s end, but then again I think that’s exactly the point. Now in the role of Capt. Jack Doyle, we get another terrific performance from Morgan Freeman. Yes he only has maybe about 40-45 minutes of screentime tops in this, but Freeman does a fantastic job at playing this character who has a degree of nobleness to say nothing of righteousness to him and yet by the end….well I think it’s better if you just see for yourself on that one. Rounding out this dynamite trio of co-starring performances is Ed Harris in the role of Detective Remy Bressant. Indeed Harris has long been one of my favorite performers and here is no different as Harris gives us a look at a skilled and driven member of the law enforcement community yet as the film goes on starts to show that there is perhaps a bit more moral complexity to him than first glance might suggest. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in wonderful performances from such screen talents as John Ashton, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver, and Michael K. Williams it’s clear that this slice of cinema may have its issues, but the work done by this powerhouse cast most assuredly is not one of them.

All in all is Gone Baby Gone a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination? Sadly no. At the same time though, is this a bonafide trainwreck through and through? Honestly I wouldn’t say that either dear reader. Indeed a solid 16 years (as of this writing) may have come and gone since it first came out, but I still really do dig the heck out of this movie dear reader. Indeed here is a slice of cinema that might not be for everyone due to the complex way it approaches such potent questions as what does it really cost an individual in this world to do the right thing and what truly is the right thing to begin with to name but a couple of examples. Yet, should you be able to not only accept those questions as a part of the viewing experience for this particular cinematic outing, but also begin to prepare your own answers to these and other questions that this film presents you with I promise you will find yourself rewarded with an extremely well-crafted entry in the crime thriller genre of movie magic that you will want to watch time and time again. Suffice it to say therefore that when you also throw into the mix phenomenal work behind the camera to say nothing of taut and solid work from a game and incredibly well-chosen cast of players in front of the camera Gone Baby Gone might not be the easiest movie to make it through, but trust me when I say that it is definitely worth it. Not just to see Ben Affleck’s reemergence in the land of movie magic as an actor/director definitely worth taking note of, but rather to also see a genuinely great film that will intrigue you whilst also leaving you deep in thought long after the credits have begun to roll. On a scale of 1-5 I give Gone Baby Gone “07” a solid 4 out of 5.