Sunday, August 15, 2010

Gone Baby Gone

Dennis Lehane is renowned for his Boston-based crime novels (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone). The adaptations of his works are just as well-known.

When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl's aunt Beatrice (Amy Madigan) hires private investigators Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan). They admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons: they're not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live. As the case progresses, Kenzie and Gennaro face drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles. When they finally solve the case, they are faced with a moral dilemma that tears them apart.

Ironic, once you think of it. Ben Affleck isn't that great of an actor, but he's a better director. Not a first time thing (*cough* Sofia Coppola *cough*), but still it's impressive. Having seen two other Lehane adaptations (Mystic River and Shutter Island), I knew what to expect. It's definitely an ambitious and impressive directorial debut.

My Rating: ****1/2

1 comment:

  1. definitely agree that Ben is a far better director than actor. kudos!

    ReplyDelete

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