It just makes so much sense. Without giving the movie away it just makes so much sense why everything takes place in the movie. It's brilliant and even makes you think to yourself if the decisions that take place within the movie were right or wrong. Is it better to do what is good or what is right? It starts off a little slow but once Ed Harris hits the screen the film takes off and never slows down. And it has some really, really great shots. My favorite of the year for now.

-A

Ben Affleck can direct! Great acting, pacing, cinematography and story. One of the best films of the year thus far.

Grade - A

Ben Affleck should stop acting and direct more. Although the similarities to Mystic River are prevalent throughout (this one is better IMO).

I pretty much agree with this. The movie feels pretty brisk and is good until Ed Harris comes in. He plays off Casey/Michelle beautifully and the movie just starts to snowball.

Some of it felt a little contrived to me but meh.

This is the best movie of the year so far. It almost feels like a rather intriguing mashup of Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, which won't make any sense until you see it. It develops its dilemmas and storyline through legitimate moral and ethical quandries, rather than forced or "cheap" twists. It's not a stretch to say Ben Affleck is a more skilled behind the camera than in front of it, considering this stunning picture is his debut. Casey Affleck is low-key but also very good; it's not an Oscar-worthy performance, but it's effective. Likewise, Michelle Monaghan (who seems to be everywhere these days) lends solid support to the picture. The film contains excellent supporting performances from old pros Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. Possibly the best performance of the film comes from actress Amy Ryan (who could become an Oscar contender, if this movie ends up getting noticed), who brings depth and humanity to a rather unpleasant character. Gone Baby Gone takes risks and poses a lot of questions about right and wrong. It's a shame more films aren't this perceptive and intelligent. A

You are right, she would be right at the top of Best Supporting Actress contenders. She's so vulgar and so real, and the script really allows her the space to NOT be *just* a caricature. The whole script was like this though, you start with a doe eyed Michelle Monaghan and Casey Affleck and they are slowly drawn and actually grow as leads over the course of the film.

Michelle Monaghan's character is interesting, and I though under scripted until the end when she kind of turns the tables on Patrick.

It was important that she wasn't there when he shot/murdered/whatever the child molester. She couldn't follow him down that train of thought that led to Patrick's last decision. I think the choice of turning what would be traditionally a one person story into two characters that develop along the same basic lines but come to a totally different conclusion is great.

"I will come to hate you for this" (or whatever she said, was just awesome)

yeah, its good.

GBG

I thought it was a decent film. I wasn't wowed or blown away and unfortunately I was starting to wonder "where is this going.." during the film which is never good, but I did enjoy it overall.

Affleck was good. The whole cast was on their game. The story itself had me glued most of the way even after the short bit of meandering it took after

B

Didn't you hate Million Dollar Baby?

I think he might be sold against the film, cuz he seemed hesitant about it with only Mystic River comparisons. :O :o :ok:

What didn't you like about Mystic River? I wasn't thrilled with it. But beyond incidentals it's not the same movie.

Fantastic film. I like how slyly Affleck sets up the central moral quandary...you can't actually even tell that the chess pieces are being arranged. But then, bam, there it is. And Casey Affleck (I haven't seen Jesse James yet) is revelatory.

One of the best pictures of the year, and I can't, three hours later, get the thing out of my head.

I also, like andaroo before me, take great pleasure in how superior this was to Mystic River.

One of the very best films of the year. All of the actors are on top of their game and Ben Affleck is a surprisingly excellent director. The cinematography in some of the scenes was breathtaking. The only complaint I have is that the last ten minutes or so left a bit to be desired and wasn't as great as the hour and forty minutes before. Still, an excellent film and one that shouldn't be missed. Also, this is much better than the extremely overrated Mystic River.

9/10 (A)

Fantastic film. Even I am questioning what I perceive to be right or wrong. The decision that Patrick made towards the end is quite heartbreaking.

Okay I actually got riveted at one particular moment in the quarry sequence.

And when I say the ending is underwhelming I didn't mean the ACTUAL ending, I meant a little before the ending but it was near the end. I don't want to ruin anything. The very end was great, though.

Husband-and-wife Ed Harris and Amy Madigan in another movie together. Cute.

So yeah, it's a bit heavy handed and the casting is a little too obvious, but I really think it's pretty amazing. I was particularly impressed with the way Affleck throws everything we thought we knew about the movie and the world it existed in into a complete tailspin, thus forcing us to question our own morality and our own viewpoints. Are these people bad people because they live in a gross house, do drugs and have cleft palates? If so, how are they any worse than this group of self-righteous good doers, who may have money but lack anything beyond their own relativistic and decidedly narrow world view? The fact that this gigantic shift of perspective is pulled off almost entirely visually is even more impressive. The sign of a truly great movie is that when the credits roll, everything that came before it fits. It has context, continuity. This movie has that in spades. At first you might feel inclined to dismiss Gone Bay Gone as just another twist movie, but when you sit back and actually examine it, it transcends other movies of that ilk because the twist actually makes sense. It exists in the realm of the movie, and it pays off things that came before it.

Loyal-Give it a chance. If you don't like it I'll owe you a pint next time I'm in London.

Superior to Mystic River. Not a big fan of Lehane's plot machinations to divert your attention from what is really happening. I have not read his books, so perhaps it is more obvious in film. Too many times I question whom exactly he is fooling with his usage of red herrings to create his sleight of hand .



Perhaps it is hanging around my old haunts in Hampton, where many of the people have the same tribal uneducated/ignorant viewpoints as many of the characters in this movie. The scene were the gun is pulled at the bar and Patrick is in shock at how he lost control of the situation has mirrored a few moments in my life (not nearly as threatening) the past ten days. I am struck at how parochial or provencial we all are. It is difficult to see the big picture no matter how much information we possess. We base our decisions on our background and our perspective.

I really identified with Patrick Kenzie's (Casey Affleck) plight of trying to navigate dealing with old friends and acquaintances that haven't been able to mature, while he has. He may be naive in how the world really works in some aspects and who he can and cannot trust, but he has a moral core that is able to adjust to the shifting surroundings as beliefs he originally holds dear get questioned and finally abandoned.

Loved the ending, which seemed natural, whereas the one in MR seemed a contrivance that relied on the principals' actions being out of character.

Nice to see a challengingly complex story for a change!

I enjoyed the nested discovery structure of the film and the acting was real good all around, good enough to support the ample weight of the screenplay.

This is a good movie.

GOOD.

I disagree. Her character's a full-on caricature, beginning to end. Serves the story, but no miracle of acting ability.

BTW, I disliked Mystic River and M$B (oddly, the second time in as many days that Loyal and I have agreed on anything), this was certainly a better screenplay than either of those...

This is a masterpiece. One of the year's very best films.

A+

Really loved it.

This is every review you ever write.

That said, it was really, really great. I really liked the multliple meanings behind Casey Affleck's speech at the beginning about how he believes that people are who they are because of the decisions they don't make and where they're raised, depending on if you hear it at the beginning or if you reflect on it afterwards. The Afflecks have really been revelations this year. I still find it rather bizzare that Ben Affleck and Sean Penn made two of the strongest films this year.