DVD Review: Gone Baby Gone

Writer: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard
Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan
Rating: R
Studio: Miramax
Release Date: February 12, 2008

As an actor, Ben Affleck has some positive attributes. He can do comedy or drama. He is somewhat good looking and interesting as far as actors go. That being said, he has never really been my favorite actor. Despite that fact, I was interested in the movie Gone Baby Gone from the moment I heard about it.

I have this fascination with actors that pass to the other side of the camera. I did not have any idea of what the film was about other than who the people were that were in it. Yet, I was more interested in seeing how Affleck’s vision would transfer onto the screen. All I can say is that Ben Affleck has a very promising career as a director should he plan to stick with it. His premiere as a director is nothing short of stunning.

The thing I like the most about this movie is the idea of action and consequence. This is what the heart of the movie is all about. When you act on something you think is right or wrong, many times you do not take the time to consider the consequences that could come from such an action. Gone Baby Gone delves as deep as it can go into this area and it’s a long, dark trip. This is a thinking movie. When the lights come back up, you sit, affected, wondering why things often have to be, just the way they are.

Release Information:
North American critics seemed to adore this movie as much as I did. In the US the film made over $20 million at the box office. It has yet to be released in the UK due to the disappearance of a missing child with some parallels to the case. Miramax is set to release Gone Baby Gone on February 12, 2008 (today). The film features quite a few special features and by far, one of the best movies to come out of 2007. You can pick this up at all major retailers including Amazon where it retails for $17.99.

The Gone Baby Gone Plot

Gone Baby Gone leads you down a dark path with no rays of light to be found. It is a story that exists to shock you and lend you hope only to offer you no real comfort once all has been said and done. In the heart of Boston, Dorchester to be exact, a young girl goes missing. In a fit of desperation the Aunt (Amy Madigan) and Uncle (Titus Welliver) hire private investigators in hopes of augmenting the investigation. This is a neighborhood where many people just aren’t going to talk to the police. People have no problems talking to Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) though, so they are brought onto the case to find this little girl.

Before the investigation officially begins, we meet the child’s mother, Helene McCready (Amy Ryan in an Oscar worthy performance). Helene is a junky who is immediately unlikeable. She seems to care more about cocaine than her child. She doesn’t even seem affected by the fact that her child is gone. This causes Patrick and Angie to take the case.

Through conversations with local neighbors, in bars, and in the drug scene, the tale of Helene’s indiscretions begins to come to light. All of the information that is received is also given to the police handling the case (John Ashton and Ed Harris). The police captain (Morgan Freeman) has also lost a child and vows never to lose another on his watch, but he almost seems asleep when it comes to the true details of the case. Then again, sometimes the only things we see are the things that we want to see.

Looking for the details of the case is easy, but finding the reality of the case is much harder. Kenzie is a diligent investigator that vows to Helene and everyone else in the case that he will find that little girl. However, as details come out about Helene you cannot help but think maybe it’s better the way it is. Helene promises that she will change her life if she gets her daughter back, a promise you almost believe by her tearful sense of panic, but this moment of hope you feel is fleeting and compassion only lasts so long when you’re dealing with someone that cannot see the folly of their own ways.

Gone Baby Gone offers an amazing story but without the actors to bring it home and the proper direction this film would have been nothing. Before watching this movie, I was not a huge fan of Casey Affleck. I liked him in some of his other movies, especially The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, but I wasn’t truly a fan. Gone Baby Gone has thoroughly changed my mind about Affleck. Not only am I now a fan, but I can also see a huge future in Hollywood for him, permitting he continues to make movies like this.

Another standout role is given by Amy Ryan. Up until now, she was one of those actresses that I had seen before, but I never really knew her name. Thanks to her role here, it will be hard to forget her. She was absolutely stunning. Thanks to her portrayal you go from hating her character, to pitying her, and back to hating her again without much of a thought.

Morgan Freeman does a convincing job in his role, though this is the norm. It’s hard to say anything bad about Freeman even in bad movies, but this is far from a bad film. All of the supporting roles are perfectly cast and handled well. This is thanks to the care that the director, Ben Affleck, has taken to ensure that this was as close to perfect as possible. And, it is.

The seedy side of Boston comes through perfectly and it is obvious that only a person with as much personal knowledge of the area can make this happen. The grit of the city propels the movie into a realistic and sometimes upsetting place where fictional accounts rarely manage to hit home.

Gone Baby Gone makes you think long and hard about right and wrong and what those two things really mean. Black and white is no longer a question when you are dealing with the grappling questions that are presented. You cannot help but put yourself in Kenzie’s shoes and it’s not a good place to be. Gone Baby Gone is not only a beautiful film, it’s one of the best of 2007.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Gone Baby Gone is presented in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film quality is absolutely gorgeous. Affleck did a wonderful job at capturing the street-look of the city and the grit that encompasses the film perfectly. You can feel the dark, boding emotion of the movie in this quality and it’s fantastic. The dark levels are of excellent quality, and everything looks as good as possible.

The sound works as well as the video quality does. Sound is offered with a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix. Things are clear and there is a balanced feel to this sound track. The accents and dialogue come through without a hitch, the effects are rich, and the score is dramatic. This is one of the best transfers, audio and video, that I have seen in recent films.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
There is a complete list of bonus features on Gone Baby Gone, ensuring that no stone for this DVD has been left unturned. You get the complete package with this release. The first available feature is a commentary with the director, Ben Affleck and co-screenwriter, Aaron Stockard. This commentary is incredibly interesting despite it sounding as if Affleck was sick during the recording. Affleck worked incredibly hard on this film and it comes through in this commentary when he points out all of the flaws that he feels he made.

The bonus features include 17 minutes of deleted scenes including an extended opening and an alternative ending. All scenes come with the option of hearing commentary with them. Finally there are two featurettes, “Going Home: Behind the Scenes with Ben Affleck” and “Capturing Authenticity: Casting ‘Gone Baby Gone‘”. Also included are trailers for No Country for Old Men, Dan in Real Life, and Becoming Jane.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Gone Baby Gone is a psychologically twisted crime drama that will make you hope for the best and then punch you in the gut when you least expect it. Affleck may have been quick to point out his own flaws, but it is incredibly easy to celebrate his talents. Gone Baby Gone is everything that is right, good, and necessary about the film industry today. This is highly recommended for purchase. While I would normally recommend renting something first, this is one of those movies that 9 out of 10 people will end up wanting to own, so just go out and pick this one up.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Movie, Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Drama, Crime, DVD Review

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.