2008 Woodie Awards
'Baby' offers gold
Chris Bashore
Issue date: 10/29/07 Section: Entertainment
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Boston has become a setting for many of the recent crime dramas that have graced the big screen. In 2003, Clint Eastwood delivered "Mystic River," a powerful film starring Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins about the murder of a young girl in Boston. Last year, Martin Scorsese brought us "The Departed," which took a look at the crime underworld in Boston. Now, Ben Affleck, in his directorial debut, delivers "Gone Baby Gone," yet another crime thriller set on the working class streets of Boston. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote "Mystic River," "Gone Baby Gone" is a fantastic film that is both well directed and well acted.
For his directorial debut, Affleck has chosen wisely. While he has not also picked the greatest acting roles (see "Gigli," "Jersey Girl," and "Reindeer Games") and may not win an Oscar for Best Actor, Affleck shines behind the camera, delivering a powerful film. While it has some flaws, such as a plot that delves a bit too much into procedure in the early stages of the film, it is safe to say that "Gone Baby Gone" is the best film to come out in 2007 thus far.
The film takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. Affleck opens the film with the protagonist, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck), giving an overview of the neighborhood. Afterwards, we learn that a young girl has been abducted from her home. The aunt of the abducted girl hires Kenzie and his girlfriend/partner Angie (Michelle Monaghan) to assist the police chief (Morgan Freeman) in finding her niece by talking to the neighborhood people, who are reluctant to talk to the police. Assisting them is Officer Remy (Ed Harris), who has a close relationship with the police chief and sees it as his mission to protect children. However, something goes wrong with the investigation, calling many things into question. As Kenzie begins to replay the case inside his head, he realizes that there is more to it than meets the eye.
For the third time, audiences have been shown a Boston that seems very foreboding. Like "The Departed" and "Mystic River," "Gone Baby Gone" focuses on the negativities of the city and paints this dark picture of a place in the dregs of society. Many of the characters introduced are societal rejects, such as cocaine dealers, drug users, and child molesters.
For his directorial debut, Affleck has chosen wisely. While he has not also picked the greatest acting roles (see "Gigli," "Jersey Girl," and "Reindeer Games") and may not win an Oscar for Best Actor, Affleck shines behind the camera, delivering a powerful film. While it has some flaws, such as a plot that delves a bit too much into procedure in the early stages of the film, it is safe to say that "Gone Baby Gone" is the best film to come out in 2007 thus far.
The film takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. Affleck opens the film with the protagonist, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck), giving an overview of the neighborhood. Afterwards, we learn that a young girl has been abducted from her home. The aunt of the abducted girl hires Kenzie and his girlfriend/partner Angie (Michelle Monaghan) to assist the police chief (Morgan Freeman) in finding her niece by talking to the neighborhood people, who are reluctant to talk to the police. Assisting them is Officer Remy (Ed Harris), who has a close relationship with the police chief and sees it as his mission to protect children. However, something goes wrong with the investigation, calling many things into question. As Kenzie begins to replay the case inside his head, he realizes that there is more to it than meets the eye.
For the third time, audiences have been shown a Boston that seems very foreboding. Like "The Departed" and "Mystic River," "Gone Baby Gone" focuses on the negativities of the city and paints this dark picture of a place in the dregs of society. Many of the characters introduced are societal rejects, such as cocaine dealers, drug users, and child molesters.
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