When her Dorchester neighbors prove reluctant to talk to the police officers working the disappearance of her young niece, Bea McCready (Amy Madigan) hires private detectives Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) to help with the investigation. Captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) begrudgingly allows Kenzie and Gennaro to work with detectives Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Nick Poole (John Ashton), the head investigators on the case.

After discovering that Helene (Amy Ryan), the missing girl’s mother, acted as a mule for one of Boston’s most notorious drug dealers (a drug dealer from whom Helene and her boyfriend stole 130,000 dollars), Kenzie and Gennaro find themselves caught in the middle of an ever-twisting, increasingly dangerous series of events in which the answers are never easy, no one is innocent, and the consequences are irrevocable.

CRITIQUE

Gone Baby Gone is a very good movie that could have been a very great one. Working from the novel by Mystic River author Dennis Lehane, debuting director Ben Affleck and co-writer Aaron Stockard have crafted a film that pulls no punches, asks hard questions, and refuses to settle for easy answers. There are moments here I’ll quite likely never forget (especially the final shot, which is indescribably affecting), yet I can’t help but think about how much better the movie could have been had it been allowed the space it needed to breathe and grow.

But I say that as someone who absolutely loved the novel (arguably the best thing Lehane has written so far), and was therefore somewhat disappointed not to see every single word of it translated to the screen. (As much as I try to see a book and its film adaptation as two separate entities, sometimes it just doesn’t work.) But I’d wager those unfamiliar with the book won’t have such a strong reaction, so bear that in mind.

Lehane’s book, like almost all of his writings, is a human drama that also happens to be a crime tale. You get a gripping mystery, complete with twists, turns, and red herrings, but the solving of the crime is secondary to the effects the crime has on the individuals involved. Affleck and Stockard understand this, and wisely put the human side of the film ahead of the crime elements.

And they’re very faithful to Lehane’s story, but in a way they’re almost too faithful. In Lehane’s plot everything matters, even the aforementioned red herrings, because in the end everything has an impact on the characters. Affleck and Stockard present all of the major beats needed to tell their version of the story, but they remove characters and subplots, as well as condense the timeframe, presenting something akin to a Cliff’s Notes version of the book.

I understand the need to convert the source material into a two-hour film, but the movie is hobbled just a bit as a result. The overall impact of the movie is muted by the removing of moments that help us understand why certain characters make the choices they do in the last act; Lehane paints a vivid picture, while the movie gives us more of a sketch; the movie isn’t a great adaptation of the novel inasmuch as it is a great adaptation of parts of the novel.

In Affleck and Stockard’s defense, they are working at something of a disadvantage, as what they’re adapting is the fourth book in a series featuring Kenzie and Gennaro. Familiarity with the characters and their relationship, both the romantic and professional sides, is a key to the book’s success.) A part of me couldn’t help but wish this had been a two-night, four-hour HBO project, which would have provided enough time for the story to unfold more naturally, giving it the space it needed. But as I said, maybe that’s just me.

Affleck succeeds totally in two areas: the casting and the film’s sense of place. Both Affleck and Lehane are Boston natives, and the vivid sense of authenticity Lehane imparts in his works is perfectly captured in the movie. By using real locations and peopling them with extras who actually frequent those locations, Affleck (aided immeasurably by cinematographer John Toll, who proves he’s just as comfortable with urban dramas as he is epics) is able to convey a similar sense of authenticity.

When Kenzie and Gennaro walk into a seedy dive or drive down narrow streets in search of a drug runner’s home, you almost believe you’re watching a documentary. As far as the casting goes, you couldn’t ask for a more tailor-made ensemble. Freeman and Harris are both as good as you’d expect. Casey Affleck is simply amazing; he may look a little too young to be playing Kenzie, but there’s a combination of forcefulness and weariness that’s perfect for the character.

And if I ever meet Affleck, I’ll be sure to thank him for saving Ashton from the dreck he’s found himself mired in for the past several years. But the real revelation here is Amy Ryan. Helene is one of the most reprehensible characters I’ve ever encountered in a work of fiction, and Ryan simply nails it; one minute you want to cradle her and do anything you can to help her, and the next minute you want to strangle her with your bare hands. Come Oscar night, she’ll be the only nominee for whom I’ll openly be rooting.

Gone Baby Gone wasn’t a box office hit by any stretch of the imagination, but the movie had a rather modest budget, and I’m hoping its home video incarnations are successful enough to open up the possibility of the Affleck brothers and their cohorts returning to these characters. There’s too much potential here to stop at just one.

THE VIDEO

The 1.85:1/1080p transfer is representative of Affleck and Toll’s almost shoot-and-run approach to filming. Many scenes, especially those featuring the local, nonprofessional members of the cast, were shot quickly, with minimal disruption to the locations. As a result, the photography in some interior scenes appears to favor available light, which often leaves them with a somewhat murky appearance, and grain can be uneven.

Contrast also runs hot in the early scenes, which sometimes flattens the image. Things improve during the movie’s final third, when the seasons change and the photography comes more in line with what you’d expect from Toll, with lush, vibrant colors and a much more pleasing appearance.

THE AUDIO

The film’s sound design is largely upfront, but the uncompressed PCM 5.1 track is given a chance to really shine during a couple of shootouts (which favor a realistic presentation over conventional action-flick bombast). Dialogue is always front-and-center, boasting a clear, natural sound, so if you have any trouble understanding what’s being said, it’s due to the thick Boston accents and not the mix itself. Harry Gregson-Williams’s excellent score sounds very good, with programmed percussion that pushes the low end to its limits. English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks are also included. English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are available.

THE EXTRAS

The audio commentary by writer/director Ben Affleck and writer Aaron Stockard makes for a good listen, as the two discuss the writing process, the plot and its themes, and the usual aspects of the physical production.

Six deleted scenes (16 minutes total) are also included. Most of these are actually extended scenes, including a slightly longer ending (the one shot that didn’t make the final cut was wisely removed) and a much longer opening sequence, which arguably should have stayed in, as it does an excellent job of setting up the dynamics of Pat and Angie’s professional and personal lives.

Going Home: Behind the Scenes with Ben Affleck (7 minutes) is an EPK-style look at the origins of the movie. Affleck discusses what drew him to the project (his decision to tackle the material after becoming a father is no coincidence) and how he eventually came to direct, while Lehane and Stockard discuss their working relationships with Affleck. 

Capturing Authenticity: Casting Gone Baby Gone (9 minutes) finds Affleck expounding on why he chose the members of his cast, both the principals and the minor players; many members of the cast, including some of the extras, also appear in brief interviews.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Even though my personal bias won’t allow me to give myself over completely, I have to admit that Gone Baby Gone is a damn good movie, one of 2007’s best, as well as a fantastic directing debut for Ben Affleck. Here’s hoping his endeavors behind the camera doesn’t follow the same route as his acting career.