SYNOPSIS:
When
two young private detectives Casey Affleck (GOOD WILL HUNTING)
and Michelle Monaghan (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III) are hired to
take a closer look into the mysterious disappearance of a little
girl they soon unravel a multitude of twists and turns where
nothing is what it seems. Ultimately they must risk everything
-- their relationship their sanity and even their lives -- in
the search to find her.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The buzz about Gone Baby Gone would probably be that
it’s directed by Ben Affleck, primary known as an actor
after his breakthrough with scripting Goodwill Hunting and
his much publicized relationships with J.Lo, Gwyneth Paltrow
and Jennifer Garner. It’s quite intriguing to see how
will Ben Affleck fares when he is back to the story telling
duties.
Let’s
just say that his directing ability in Gone Baby Gone was
more impressive than his performance in Daredevil. The praises
he received by the critics generally were reaffirmed by this
cynical reviewer who tends to avoid those works by celebrity
tabloids targets. Gone Baby Gone not only tells a decent story
but gave the viewers something ponders about after watching
the show.
A
couple of other factors helped contribute to Ben Affleck’s
success in creating a memorable story of a child’s kidnapping.
The
first was the casting choice and the whole ensemble cast did
a fine job in creating the tension of the missing child. From
the irresponsible mom played by Amy Ryan who was nominated
for an Oscar, to the fine performance by Ed Harris and Morgan
Freeman (in a short but outstanding cameo scene), had all
helped to instill the tension and drama dilemma into their
characters.
Even
the casting choice of his own brother, Casey Afflect in the
lead role (which skeptical folk like me would suspect that
it was a seedy means helping to push his brother into the
limelight) was a good choice to play the detective with good
intention. His pairing with Michelle Monaghan also sparks
chemistry that makes their journey in seeking the missing
child engaging.
Besides
having a bunch of capable actors in his disposal, the other
factor would be that the source material that Gone Baby Gone
is based on. Said to be Ben Affleck’s favourite book,
Gone Baby Gone is written by the same writer, Dennis Lehane
that gave us Mystic River. In the same vein, both movies played
the suspenseful detective element well with the human emotions
and twists that will leave the viewers to ponder about.
At
the end, this movie left me pondering an age old quote about
the choices we make in life. In order not spoil your viewing
pleasure; it will be wrapped in Spoiler Tags. In my opinion,
that the quote below summarizes what Gone Baby Gone was all
about.
Spoiler Quote “The
path to hell is paved with good intention” Spoiler
Quote Ends
MOVIE RATING:
 
Review
by Richard Lim Jr
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