Gone Baby Gone

A powerful drama, very well written, but above all brilliantly directed. I’m inclined to agree with the opinion about the intellectual overtones mentioned several times here, the dilemma that is transferred from the main character to the viewer at the end is impressive and the last shot, my God, is perfection itself. And most importantly, the whole narrative has oomph and it doesn't matter if it's the chillingly harsh scene with a paedophile in the second half of the film or a simple dialogue between the two protagonists. A true joy to watch. And Casey Affleck? He articulates weird, he looks weird, he acts weird, but all of that together create a very interesting person that I couldn't take my eyes off. Ben, in the future, act as you did in Hollywoodland, while continuing to develop your undoubted directorial talent, and I have no choice but to repeat myself: "It was a great pleasure." (28/01/2008)

A quality film for one evening. It's not an Oscar-worthy masterpiece, nor a film that you could watch twenty times and still discover something new, it's ordinary, austere, technically simple, and quite effective in certain moments. But the storyline isn't that elaborate, and many things can be guessed from the course of the film. Above all, Ed Harris is outstanding. The ending didn't deliver the catharsis I expected, but it has a logical culmination. Ben Affleck is definitely better behind the camera than in front of it, and I think that has surprised many film fans, especially since it's his directorial debut. (09/08/2008)

It was "only" a good film until the final reveal, but then it became a great film, one of those that really makes you think about how you would have acted yourself. And that's valuable these days. I love Dennis Lehane's books and it's a good thing that this one I couldn't get hold of for so long and unlike Mystic River or Shutter Island I hadn't read it before the film. My surprise and my experience were all the greater. I think Morgan Freeman gave one of his best performances ever in a relatively small space. (15/03/2015)

This story looks like a classic. One crime that not only changes the lives of all involved, but completely turns them upside down. And all with the help of a constantly twisting script, which is so cleverly narrated that you won't start twisting at any turn, wondering what we just saw. And when something similar almost happens, like during the key action at the quarry, the voiceover of the main character immediately assures you that you are definitely not alone in it. What surprises me the most is how quickly the story won me over, so that despite the anonymity and ordinariness of the character Patrick, I was scared of him after a few minutes and experienced all the crucial decisions with him. Affleck's directorial certainty is therefore an unimaginable promise not only for the genre. (08/03/2008)

Affleck’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel is unarguably well-made, perfectly acted, absorbing with its atmosphere of an Irish suburb of Boston and especially in the night scenes it’s completely riveting. Casey Affleck in the role of the “neighborly" private detective is worthy of the supreme acting accolade, just like many of the supporting actors. Seemingly the perfect crime movie. However, there is one small but. After the scene with the attack on the house and one subsequent conversation, it is absolutely clear “who, how and why". However, a long-winded half hour of wannabe surprising revelations follow. Not that it matters that much, since the picture culminates in these scenes in terms of acting, but as a whole it needlessly loses energy. At least the complete end with the repercussions of a certain decision is again back to the standard of most of the movie. In other words, at the qualitative zenith of the genre. After his feature-length directing debut, I’ll have to keep an eye out for Ben Affleck. With his economical and firm-handed directing that doesn’t draw attention to itself, he is very similar to Clint Eastwood. Let’s hope it stays with him and that he will no longer prance around in front of the camera. Both for his and mainly for our own good. (07/01/2008)