GONE BABY GONE

US, 2007, 114 minutes, Colour.
Casey Affleck, Michelle Moynihan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Wellover
Directed by Ben Affleck

Sounds like a pot-boiling title and, at moments, the film is a pulp fiction. But, it is more.

The name of crime-writer Dennis Lehane became well-known with Clint Eastwood’s film version of his Mystic River. Set in a gritty Boston, that film explored crime but it also delved into and probed the characters and the consequences of their behaviour. Gone Baby Gone does the same. While Brian Heligoland (LA Confidential) wrote Mystic River, the writers of Gone Baby Gone are Aaron Stockard and the director of the film, Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won an Oscar for their screenplay of Good Will Hunting. Affleck not only shows adaptation and writing skills here, but this is a solid achievement in directing. He has sometimes been badly reviewed for his performances, a somewhat stolid and wooden presence, although he was acclaimed for his turn as TV Superman’s George Reeves in Hollywoodland. He won the Best Actor award at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. On the basis of Gone Baby Gone, he has a lot more mileage in him as a film-maker.

The star is his brother, Casey, who has been building up a reputation for some years in a range of films including the Ocean’s series, with an Oscar nomination for his performance as the Cowardly Robert Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James.

He makes the central character his own. He plays a young private eye who knows his Boston neighbourhoods and the motley types there, doing local investigations with his partner, Michelle Williams. When a baby is abducted and disappears, it is not the grieving but good-time girl mother (Amy Adams, Oscar nominated) but her relentless sister-in-law (Amy Madigan) who is dissatisfied with police efforts and media coverage and seeks out the local detectives.

The case is not only a complex one, there are several quite unexpected twists and turns, lies and cover-ups which the diligent young man follows up. The results finally challenge his integrity concerning justice and vengeance but, more, his integrity as a man of principle who can take a stand despite pressure and the opinions of those he loves.

With the police cast led by Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris (another fine performance) and John Ashton, this is an excellent example of the US crime genre.

1. The work of Dennis Lehane, novels, crime, the Boston settings? Massachusetts society? Police work?

2. The Boston settings, the language, the neighbourhoods, the poor areas, tough, race issues, drugs, the police? The over-view of Boston? The musical score?

3. The title, the tone, its use in the film?

4. The structure, the voice-over, the abduction and the investigation, the family tragedy, the next case, Remy and his lies, the next step, suspicions, the truth, the real truth? Patrick and his principles, no matter what?

5. The abduction, the deal, the role of the media, Helene and her dramatics on the television, Bayer and her forcefulness? Doyle and his speaking for the police force? Patrick and Angie, private detectives, young, inexperienced? Blair and Lionel going to see them? The hesitation, the reasons, their working as a team, the contact with Doyle, Remy and Nick and the liaison?

6. Patrick, Casey Affleck’s performance, young, inexperienced, earnest, his past? His knowledge of the locals? The interactions with Remy? The information, the issues of the alibi, his getting more information than the police, telling Remy, the reactions (and the later repercussions of this?) The visit, his interrogation of Helene? The truth, the drugs, the money? Helene’s contact with Ray, their finding him dead, the money? Capital Cheese and his role, the drug dealing, wanting the money, the interrogations? Chris? And his being Cheese’s henchman, killing Ray, the guns, the confrontation? The failure to get the money back? Patrick’s reaction, with Angie, bringing Remy in on the situation?

7. The set-up, the meeting, the blanket, the cliff, the shootings, Angie diving into the water, the seeming reality of the baby’s death?

8. The character of Helene, Blair and Lionel, Dotty as their friend? The way they all treated Amanda? Helene and her leaving her child, Blair and her concern, Lionel and his doting on the child?

9. Patrick, his knowledge, the past, skills as a detective, his motivations, the locals and his being tough, school friends, his knowing Cheese, confrontation – and his seeming failure? His work with Angie, sharing, his relationship with her?

10. The photos, finding the couple, suspicions, the second abduction? The media reports? The drugs, the gun, the money, seeing the perpetrator? The return? The house, the couple and their being under suspicion, their prison records? The return to the house, entry, Nick being shot, going to the hospital, his death, the funeral? Reme and his sadness, drinking, talking to Patrick? Patrick going into the house, shooting the man, his reaction, everybody’s congratulations?

11. Doyle, his character, the head of the police, giving media interviews? Morgan Freeman and his integrity? Calling in Patrick, the transcript of the message, the phone call? His resignation when the baby was not recovered? The irony of this in view of later information?

12. Remy, his drinking, lies, planting evidence, Patrick’s reaction?

13. Interviewing Lionel, a revelation of a truth, knowledge of Ray, the gun, the shooting, the money, his ringing Remy?

14. The clues, the flashbacks, Lionel overhearing Helene talking with Ray, the money, his baby sitting, telling Remy, taking Amanda, their hiding her, the set-up? The fake set-up at the cliff, the shooting, the accident – and telling Patrick? And yet this also being a lie?

15. Patrick, his working things out, confronting Doyle, discovering Amanda, the argument with Angie? Doyle and his reasons for taking the baby, wanting to give the baby a new life? Angie and her siding with Doyle? Patrick, his principles, explaining about Amanda’s future, asking about her mother, whether a wealthy life compensated for this?

16. Angie, her reaction, leaving Patrick, the final confrontation between the two as she came to the apartment? Patrick and his sense of loss?

17. Patrick, giving the police the information, Lionel going to jail, Helene and the media and getting her baby back? Her using Patrick for a baby sitter, her resuming her outgoing lifestyle, not seeming to care about the baby? Patrick and his concern?

18. Themes of human nature, good and bad, wrong reasons for behaviour, seemingly sympathetic behaviour? Justice, the law, the police? Police loyalties, Remy and Nick and their loyalty to Doyle? The cover-ups? The role of responsibility, or forfeiting responsibility? A film about principles?