Gone Baby Gone (USA 2007, Crime/Drama/Mystery), Writers: Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard; Director: Ben Affleck

Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, Gone Baby Gone begins with the disappearance of four-year-old Amanda McCready (Madeline O’Brien). Unsatisfied with the police’s efforts to find Amanda, her aunt Bea (Amy Madigan) hires rookie private detectives Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) to help track her down.

Knowing the film was helmed by Ben Affleck, I was very critical of its direction at the outset. The shot set ups were standard and I didn’t see any great cinematic vision. But it didn’t take long for me to be pulled out of my over-analytical mind and start getting caught up in the film.

Although the storyline is a bit convoluted, Affleck clearly has a talent for writing. And as his directorial debut, the film definitely shows his promise. In fact, Affleck seems better suited behind the camera than in front of it. That said, his acting experience clearly informs and benefits him as a director. It’s obvious he knows how to work with actors. Watching the film, you get a sense of how collaborative this project was and what a close set it must have been.

Gone Baby Gone has a slightly homemade flavour, probably due to the fact that Affleck is so familiar with the neighbourhood (the film is set in his native Boston) and because he cast locals in many of the smaller roles. The approach works well, making the characters and setting all the more believable. There are also several outstanding performances from the lead actors. In particular, Amy Ryan as Amanda’s mother Helene, Edi Gathegi as Cheese, and the always wonderful Ed Harris as Detective Remy Bressant. (I’ve got to see Pollock one of these days soon.)

I wasn’t as impressed with Casey Affleck in the lead role. I appreciate subtlety in all things, but Affleck seems to have dabbled a little too far with it. There’s subtle acting, and then there’s staring blankly at the camera.

Gone Baby Gone takes a bit of a twist about half-way through, which leads to a somewhat anti-climatic resolution. But I loved the closing scene. Many of the films I’ve seen lately have had strong endings, and here’s another one. The filmmakers don’t try to tie things up neatly with a clear-cut answer about right and wrong. And the final line just says it all about what the people around Amanda really wanted and cared about.

This one is worth seeing, but as a rental.