Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone

by Kathryn Durfee
10/19/2007

It's final. Ben Affleck's acting career is over. Well, this may have been final a long time ago (Gigli anyone? Daredevil perhaps?), but at least now we can genuinely encourage him to do something else. With his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck appears to have far more talent behind the camera than he does in front of it.

Based on the bestselling novel by Denis LeHane, the author of Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone is the story of the search for a missing little girl named Amanda McCreadey. If you've ever read a detective novel or seen a movie of the genre, you know that the case is far more complicated than it first appears.

It's been three days since four-year-old Amanda went missing. Amanda's aunt, worried that the police are not doing enough, hires Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and his girlfriend Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) to "augment" the police investigation. Captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) is a police officer whose daughter was killed years before. Determined not to let this happen again, he has created the Crimes Against Children unit, dedicated to cases of missing children. Amanda's case falls under his jurisdiction, and he assigns Detective Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) to the case. Doyle informs Patrick that he and Angie will be allowed to observe but that the police aren't too keen on the idea of outside help.

Having grown up in the same neighborhood as the missing girl, Patrick gathers information faster than the cops. Patrick soon discovers that Amanda's coke-dealing mother Helene (Amy Ryan) did her boss wrong on their last deal just before Amanda went missing. The case appears to be solved, but another child goes missing. During the investigation of the small boy's disappearance, one of the cops Patrick has been working with lets slip a small detail that Patrick is unable to ignore. What appeared at first to be a simple misunderstanding and a drug deal gone awry transforms into an elaborate plot involving more people than Patrick would have ever suspected.

The first half of the film is the typical crime thriller (but well done). The second half is far more interesting, as it brings into focus the moral challenges presented to Patrick. Knowing the truth about Amanda, he realizes that choosing the right course of action isn't always the easiest decision to make. Amanda's case endangers Patrick's life, strains his relationship with Angie, and causes him to question authority, but he remains determined to do what he believes is right. Hard as it is to find evidence, it's even harder to decide what to do with it.

Affleck (Ben, that is) not only directed Baby, but also wrote the screenplay (along with Aaron Stockard). Looking at Good Will Hunting, Affleck has already proven himself as a talented writer, especially when it comes to drafting dialogue for natives of his hometown of Boston. I was, however, very skeptical of his directing capabilities. I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised.

Shot on location in Boston, Baby shows the drastic differences between life in the slums and the world of the cops. Featuring neighborhoods in which I'm sure even the dogs can talk a blue streak, Affleck illustrates the animosity between the blue-collar cops and the impoverished project-dwellers. The film's realism is heightened, or "augmented" if you will, by shots of real locations and cutaways to denizens along with performances given by local actors.

Casey Affleck proves to possess the acting chops required to be a leading man. His baby-face may throw some viewers off, but he soon commands attention and respect with a low-key but powerful style. His Patrick is polished enough to have avoided the seemingly popular criminal life but still able to instill fear in even the most powerful local drug lords.

Ed Harris also stands out as the seasoned cop Bressant. His quick turns from understated but serious to active and menacing provide frequent shocks and keep the audience guessing where his loyalties lie. Morgan Freeman has a relatively small part, but it is a clear departure from his recent grandfatherly roles.

Gone Baby Gone keeps those of us who haven't read the book guessing. Perhaps it's just impossible to screw up a Denis LeHane story, or perhaps we can actually thank Ben Affleck for this. Either way, Baby is one of the most thrilling, most intriguing, and most enjoyable films I have seen in a long time.