My Score:
IMDb Users:
(2007)
Genre: Crime/Drama
Director: Ben Affleck
Writer: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard, Dennis Lehane
Synopsis: When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl's aunt Beatrice McCready hires two private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The detective freely admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons - they're not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live. As the case progresses, Kenzie and Gennaro face drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles. When they finally solve the case, they are faced with a moral dilemma that tears them apart. (Written by garykmcd)
Cast:
- Casey Affleck
- Ed Harris
- Michelle Monaghan
- Morgan Freeman
jhunterfilmreview: Before The Town, actor Ben Affleck’s directorial debut was Gone Baby Gone. A gritty drama/mystery centred around a child abduction and the countless number of lives it affects. The film has been adapted from the work of novelist and screenwriter Dennis Lehane, who is known for his famous pieces like Mystic River and Shutter Island, which have also been adapted into Academy Award-winning and nominated films, respectively. There are several aspects of the film that made me thoroughly enjoy it. Firstly, it’s an amazing thriller. Starts off slow, but still gripping, and as the story proceeds the thrills increase and viewers are left using their hands to block their ears (maybe just me) to somehow protect themselves from the tension that is on screen. Another aspect of the film, which is rarely achieved in modern cinema that i've seen, is how the thrills and tension is maintained throughout the film, without showing too much gory content. For example, when the main character finds a mutilated body of a child in a bathtub (not a spoiler), the shots are separated by suspense ‘thuds’ and a black screen. I also find it interesting when a film’s title is used in the dialogue – which was achieved here with thug character, Cheese - as it explains and gives meaning to the title. On top of all this, the film has an all-star cast – Casey Affleck (yes, Ben Affleck’s brother), Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Mission Impossible 3), Ed Harris (A Beautiful Mind, The Rock) and Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en). Despite all these positive points, I did however have a negative one – I found that some of the dialogue was mumbled, so when I’d turn the volume up to try and hear, the loud sound effects would suddenly blast through my whole house, leaving me slightly irritated. This did not however, affect my overall opinion of the movie, and for this reason…
I give this film 8 stars.
