This Almost makes up for Forces of Nature and Bounce
Gone Baby Gone is one of those films where you have to wonder about its journey to the screen. It’s easy to understand the studios wanting to green light another project based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, the author behind the critical hit Mystic River. The directing of the film by Ben Affleck is not as easy to explain or understand. The former A-List actor has never directed before, or done anything in his performances to make you think he is capable of handling a project demanding of such a skillful and mature hand. However, Affleck has won an Oscar for writing and co-wrote the adaptation of Gone Baby Gone. I suppose the people involved in producing the film weighed the ability Affleck showed as a writer with Good Will Hunting against the lack of talent Affleck has shown in his film performances and decided to take the risk.
Gone Baby Gone is a carefully crafted noir set in Beantown that is enhanced by the intelligent decisions made by the director. The actors playing most of the secondary characters in the film look and talk exactly like the people that would live in the film’s neighborhood; this casting greatly enhances the film’s realism and helps the audience accept some of the secondary character’s quirky behaviors.
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