Gone Baby Gone

Given the controversy surrounding this film, any critical in-depth analysis was to be undertaken meticulously. Simply put, Ben Affleck's first foray into film direction is a remarkable achievement- an accomplished, triumphant thriller stoked with a keen sense of moral complexity, perfectly executed with a plot that should be commended for it's daring bravery, acted out with impressive style by Affleck's younger sibling, Casey ( The Assassination Of Jesse James) alongside his partner and co-private detective Michelle Monaghan. Morgan Freeman, as always, illuminates the picture with a grace we've all become accustomed to and loved.

An adapted novel by Dennis Lehane, whose Mystic River was brilliantly brought to the big-screen By Clint Eastwood, the story-line of "Gone Baby Gone" takes place in the leafy suburbs of Dorchester, South Boston, where the child of a drug-addled alcoholic disappears, culminating in a hysterical media frenzy. Within the ensuing investigation lies a labyrinthine maze of corruption and negligence, youthful innocence and brutal drama. Given the task of discovering the whereabouts of the missing child, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro ( Affleck & Monaghan) find themselves in the midst of the gloomy Bostonian underworld, built on deceit, fraudulence and deviousness, populated by drug-barrens, bar-flies and Paedophiles. Seemingly a hopeless investigation, a multitude of dead-ends, nightmarish discoveries and false leads perplex the case.

As the plot unfolds, and more questions than answers prop up, the case, seemingly, becomes an impossible task.Rather flippantly, the attention turns to the disappearance of another child, which brings about a tense, intriguing, somewhat grim climax, that leaves the the viewer shuddering in a frenzied maelstrom of differing emotions. And then, rather surprisingly, we return to case one. Each new lie and cover-up unfurls scene-by-scene, ensuring that that the film retains a prolonged and welcomed feeling of suspense and intensity throughout.

A friend of mine recently told me that whilst he enjoyed this film, he found it all too predictable. I whole-heartedly beg to differ.This films twist, a fusion of the battling inner sanctums of the consciousness, where the divine roots of right and wrong become blurred, supplies a richly ingrained ending to this story of life's make-up. Gently stirring at the seams, before talking the head and heart on a prolonged emotional rollercoaster, "Gone Baby Gone" has bravely stood up to the critics and delivered with aplomb. Watch it. Immerse yourself in it. Ride the storm.