DVD Review: Gone Baby Gone starring Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman

Gone Baby Gone, the screen adaptation of the book by the same name by Dennis Lehane (author of Mystic River), marks the directorial debut of Hollywood sweetheart Ben Affleck. Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Amy Ryan, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris, this film is about much more than big names and Hollywood influence. It's about Affleck making his mark as a serious Hollywood player - by giving audiences what they really want: true, real entertainment.

The story of Gone Baby Gone revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a little girl. Frustrated that the police aren't doing everything they can, the girl's aunt hires a small private investigation duo (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) to help out the investigation. Soon, the tale gets tangled in a web of twists and turns, truths and untruths - until it's final, tense end. Above all else, Gone Baby Gone will have you riveted to the screen as you try and put together the pieces of what really happened to baby Amanda.

Ultimately, I only had three problems with this movie:

• That Ben Affleck didn't get an Oscar nod for this fantastic first direction effort;



• That his brother, Casey, didn't get an Oscar nod for his absolutely fan-fucking-tastic performance; and



• That Michelle Monaghan was miscast. I love the actress, but wasn't buying her as the Boston native girlfriend-slash-business associate. I'm thinking that someone like, oh, I don't know... Ben Affleck's own wife, Jennifer Garner, could have pulled it off much better.

But even with that one small complaint, Gone Baby Gone is a fabulously scripted, wonderfully directed movie. The pacing is perfect; the perfomances spot-on. (It's no wonder that Amy Ryan, who played the missing girl's mother, got an Oscar nod for her role; she was perfect. And Casey Affleck's performance was simply riveting. ) What I love most about it, however, is that it feels real. The movie - from the story to the performances - made you feel, 100%, that you were right there: in the streets of Boston. It is raw and gritty, thought-provoking and intelligent... just the way I like it. 

• The Daily Dawdler Rating: A

• Miramax Films, Rated R. DVD Release Date: 02/12/08. Available online at Amazon.com.

• Watch the Trailer: