is, I loved The Departed. But that was flashier. As great as it was you could tell people were acting. Not here. They seemed exactly like the degenerates and handful of decent folk I see every day of my life. The woman who plays the girl's mother, I don't know who see is, but I've met her about 1000 times.As far as the story goes I'd never spoil it for you but it's complex, not confusing. There is a lot going on and it's so real. I don't know what's happened in this area but people have become so lousy. So lousy that if you're a good person you just don't know what can be done anymore. There seems to be no answer sometimes and this film is set in that world. If you have the brains and heart to try you don't even know what will come of it.Who should see this? Intelligent people. People who want to come out of a movie thinking about what they just saw. People who want to see an incredibly well made film. And anyone who ever liked Ben Affleck even for half a second. He should be very proud of this movie. As far as content there are loads of curse words, some drug use, but no nudity that I can remember, and there is some gun violence, but nothing too bad. Put it high on your movie going list.

year.Today, 10/20/07 I was trying to decide what to see and Gone Baby Gone was not in my menu, as even though I go so often to the movies I had not seen any trailer for this movie nor heard anything about it. Perusing the newspaper the synopsis attracted me and I decided to see it. As Gone Baby Gone progressed I found myself being really pull into the story, living it together with the characters, through the splendid direction, editing and camera work. As the movie ended I thought to myself: "This is why you go see so many bad and regular movies, so you will not miss the occasional good one and the rare excellent movie"."Gone Baby Gone" is easily the best movie I have seen this year. And that includes most of the art, foreign or indie movies that I also attend religiously. Unless something out of this world comes out in the next six weeks, this is my candidate for the Oscar to the best picture and Ben Affleck should also be nominated for best Director.

The two are hired by the family of a missing four-year-old girl to assist the police investigation because of their street connections and ability to get people to talk who otherwise would never open up to a cop. As they navigate through the neighborhood's seamy underbelly of pimps, drug dealers and crack whores they uncover an ever-expanding mystery that takes on the added dimension of provoking the question of just what is right and what is wrong, firmly pitting both story and viewer in a struggle between situational ethics and moral absolutes.Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris round out an impressive cast, but it's the younger Affleck who takes this movie on his back and runs with it, easily surpassing his director brother in terms of acting breadth and range. This is no slight to Ben, however. It's been a long time since I was this impressed with a directorial debut, and even longer since I was given cause to reflect upon the values that we hold dear as individuals and a society, and the moral foundations upon which they are based. Gone Baby Gone manages both, and wraps it up in a hard-hitting detective story that serves as much to satisfy the baser urges of bar fights and gun play, as it does tackling bigger issues.It's also one of those rare movies in which it can easily be said that the less you know about the story going in, the richer the experience. There's no clear twist ending to give away, but rather a layered story that unfolds like a Russian stacking doll with a moral dilemma at its core.One thing I do feel comfortable revealing, however, is that this movie comes about as close as any can to being a bonafide lock come Academy Award time. Congrats Ben, you may well have redeemed yourself from your J-Lo/Gigli reputation at last.

entire running time, and the ending will give you something to argue about over dinner after watching the movie.The best detective movie I've seen in a while.

Wire.The questions that this movie asks as it unfolds do not get answered in by the closing credits, and they still aren't answered as I type. Who was right? Is there a right answer? Morgan Freeman- the greatest actor alive- and Ed Harris give standard upper echelon performances. But I was surprised by Michelle Monaghan and especially Casey Affleck. He didn't flinch, and he didn't compromise his ideals, but in the end compromised nonetheless. I hope he gets a nomination.Ben Affleck lost my favor somewhere around the time he began to cry in Armageddon, and I haven't taken him seriously since. But his achievement here, the pace, the mood, the spot on capturing of the desolate neighborhood, and the overall story leads me to anxiously await his next directorial effort.The best film I've seen in years.

this, he does not need to perform in any more films. He is a much better writer and director than he is an actor.All the performances in the film are superb. Casey Affleck has to carry the film and he does a great job. He is a stoic, deadpan, detective. But unlike the Noir detectives of the past, he is not a loner. He has a lot of friends and he has his girlfriend played by Michelle Monaghan help with the investigation. He uses his connections to find out things the police cannot.Beyond that, the less you know the better.If you like crime dramas that also work as character studies, you should run out and see "Gone Baby, Gone."

right when he want you to.I had not expected Casey Affleck to play as well either because there were so many compliments made toward his performance I expected something totally different. Yet he also brought this authenticity in his acting like Ben did in his directing. Youn could just see the look in his eyes that he was totally into it, he was it. He gave a great portrayal of a detective that should have earned him an Oscar nomination. Also a great supporting cast was put in place with Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris and Amy Ryan. All of them gave engaging performances as well. Amy Ryan especially with her performance as the mother of her girl who is the centerpiece of this story. I believe if it was not for her this movie could have very easily fallen into an ordinary movie. What really made up the movie was the message. After all what is a movie without a message. This movie did not try to pretend to be deep or try to impress. It did what it had to do, asking the a very tough question. Is the right thing to do always the right decision to make and do the ends justify the means? I advise you not to miss this movie and definitely watch this with a friend or family member.

neighborhood. Meanwhile Capt. Jack Doyle Morgan Freeman , who lost his own daughter many years ago and is in charge of the investigation, assigns detectives Remy Bressant Ed Harris and Nick Pole John Ashton to give the necessary support to Patrick. After interviewing the addicted low life mother of Amanda, Helene McCready Amy Ryan , Patrick goes to a bar and discloses that Helene was on the streets with her boyfriend Skinny Ray Likanski Sean Malone dealing and using drugs on the day Amanda disappeared. Along his investigation, Patrick faces smalltime criminals, drug dealers, pedophiles and corruption, facing a moral issue to solve the case."Gone Baby Gone" is an impressive debut of Ben Affleck as director of feature. The story is original, supported by an outstanding screenplay with several plot points and a polemic conclusion, and the performances are great. The moral and ethical codes of the lead character Patrick Kenzie seem to follow his thoughts, when he says that people cannot choose, but they are fruit of their town, neighborhood and family. His polemical and controversial decision in the end, right or wrong, selfish or right, is certainly another attraction in this great film. My vote is eight.Title Brazil : "Medo da Verdade" "Afraid of the Truth"

director and co-writer Ben Affleck's capture of this neighborhood his own of course before moving to Hollywood and how real everything seemed. It was dark and gritty and just had this feeling of emotions and real life tied up in it and I think that's pretty impressive for Affleck. The story unfolds like a typical kidnapping story but ends up turning into something completely different than you would have ever expected. It's also a very real look into the life of the rough Boston neighborhood which I didn't really think looked on it in all that great of light but perhaps in just a form of reality.Casey Affleck plays the lead role, fortunate to have his older brother directing. Casey Affleck has had some decent roles over the years but nothing really stellar and this performance as young but street smart PI Patrick Kenzie is pretty good. Oscar worthy? Mmmm I don't really think so but it's a good role. I mean how far of a stretch is it for him to play the street smart, tough talking Bostonian because isn't that what he is? Still he commands the screen and does a good job in the lead. Michelle Monaghan was really good in Mission Impossible III with a small role and yet in a critically acclaimed film such as this she's just kind of there. I mean her role is kind of subtle and she has an important purpose as the balance to Casey Affleck's character but she just doesn't make herself stand out in the role. I hesitate to say this but her role is almost dull compared to some of the others. Enter the amazing Ed Harris who IS hands down deserving of a best Supporting Actor nod in this amazing role as the tough as nails Boston Cop. His speeches and emotions and just his entire performance is gut wrenching and he is amazing in this part. He steals the show quite simply!! Equally amazing Hollywood elite actor Morgan Freeman plays a small but very important role as the chief of police. He doesn't get a whole lot of dialog or a whole lot to play with in the role but seeing him on screen is always great. John Ashton is also really great as Harris' partner who often has to step aside to Harris' performance but still does great playing off of that. Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan and Titus Welliver also turn in decent performances as the family of the missing girl.Gone Baby Gone is a bit of a roller coaster mystery because certainly it's left for the viewer to uncover as Casey Affleck's character does. And in the end you won't be anywhere near where you started and every twist and turn takes you further into the mystery but for the most part everything matches up and is brought together without plot holes or question marks. Finally in the end the mystery is not who took the girl as much as why they took her and is what they did morally right and it leaves a really thought provoking question in your mind or maybe not...maybe you will just outright side with one side or the other. Either way the film is a real treat to watch filmed with real expertise but as I said I don't know if I'd label it one of the best of the year by any means and I'm not sure that Academy Award status is to be given for anyone other than Ed Harris' powerful supporting performance and MAYBE Casey Affleck in the off chance. The film is full of gratuitous bad language and a cold hard look at working class Boston. Still it's worth checking out hands down!! Destined to be a new career turn for Mr. Ben Affleck. 8/10