Gone Baby Gone

Do you remember Ben Affleck? Definitely, yes, his star hasn't fallen, quite the opposite. He is the actor that many people couldn't stand precisely because of how he acts/doesn't act. However, he managed to win an Oscar. Not surprisingly, for the screenplay of the movie "Good Will Hunting". It turned out that he is not only a great screenwriter but also an excellent director. His first success was precisely the film "Gone Baby Gone", for which he also wrote the screenplay. If something speaks to you in the movie, then it is love for the city. Not the beautiful things that are shown to tourists, but love for the city as it is. "Gone Baby Gone" is not a detective story, it is mainly focused on one person who seeks justice at any cost. The law is the law, and even though his methods are very harsh, his language is not refined, and his age is young, he always seeks the truth at any cost. A great, powerful story about a child abduction, a brilliant ending, and unexpectedly good performances by the actors. Maybe it's because an actor who becomes a director knows what he wants from actors. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/diar-milovnika-filmu-c-005-reziser.html (2013-02-15)

Without a final twist and uncompromisingly leaving the question “What is right?”, it would only have been a thriller with brilliant direction and performances, but with that Gone Baby Gone becomes an exceptionally intense experience and a superb drama. But is the answer to that question really that hard? Not for me. (2008-07-28)

Ben Affleck strikes back at all the scoffers over his acting talent and shows that he can do much more behind the camera than in front of it. Any absence of ill-considered steps, and on the contrary, absolutely perfect scene timing, great camera work, or excellent editing, show that there he has top talent. Especially if he chooses an excellent script next time, which will blow you away with its intensity of dialogue, a dose of life experience, and especially the final double-twist. After American Gangster, this is the second film whose absence from the Oscars is incomprehensible. (2007-12-28)

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. (2008-03-08)

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. (2015-03-15)