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Gone Baby Gone (1 Viewer)

RichM

Agent
Joined
Mar 16, 2000
Messages
48
I'm suprised there isn't much communication on this movie in the forums. I watched it last night and found it one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

The decisions the main character has to make during the film really made for some interesting discussions with my wife. It has been a long time since a film ended leaving me thinking about what I would do in a similar situation.

For those who don't know, the film is about an abduction of a little girl and a private investigator's attempt to find her.
 

mylan

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Messages
1,741
What a coincedence, we watched Gone last night as well. We thought Casey did a great job with his role as did Ed Harris. The movie did hit closer to home with us as we have a four year old niece we keep on a regular basis who is in a slightly better but similar situation when she is not in our care. The movie did bring up some touchy subjects and we did not agree with Caseys decision at all.
 

Brad Vautrinot

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 16, 1999
Messages
219
I've read all of Dennis Lehane's books and found each to be most excellent. He grew up in the neighborhoods of which he writes and I suspect that many of his characters are based on real people. I have lived in the areas of South Boston, and Dorchester where most of the action takes place and it was especially meaningful as I've walked and driven on most of the streets shown in the movie. I can say the same for The Departed and Mystic River. I now live in Quincy and have scuba dived in the very quarry shown in the movie.

Casey Affleck did a great job and it was nice to see that Ben kept to the original story line. He's going to be a great director. So as not to leave any spoilers, the team of Patrick and Angie appear in some of Lehane's other books. As Mylan noted, there were some very touchy subjects broached in this movie (as well as Mystic River) and they were pretty much in your face, no holds barred. The decision Casey made at the end was so tough and I hope I'm never put in that position. Logically and legally I have to agree with him and I applaud his decision to do what he perceived to be the right thing despite the pressure from others he cares about to do otherwise. Just glad it wasn't me.

Another of Lehane's books is being made into a movie - Shutter Island. This book totally blew my mind and I had to read the last chapter four times just to get my mind right. It will be starring, so far:

Michelle Williams
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Ruffalo
Patricia Clarkson

and directed by Martin Scorcese - due out in 2009.

Brad
 

Jon Martin

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
2,218
I liked the film as well, even more than MYSTIC RIVER.

And not to get into spoiler territory, but I didn't have a problem with Casey's decision because I found the decisions of other characters were far more problematic. Let's just say the final section of the film hurt the film overall (almost as much as the end of MYSTIC RIVER which I found laughable it was so unbelievable).

I haven't read any of Lehane's work, but I hope he doesn't always have such problems with the endings.
 

ErichH

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 1, 2001
Messages
1,163
I think it's a very good film, but the characters and locations start to blend with Mystic, Departed, Eastern Promises, etc. Seems to be a rash of these lately.
After adding in Brotherhood and The Wire on Sat, I think I'm over saturated with tough inner city drama.
 

Corey3rd

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Messages
1,728
Real Name
Joe Corey
i just didn't find it at all realistic - not one single character went on a rant about "What's Manny thinking?"

It was a good tight film. I understand why Casey did what he did at the end. Affleck was extra smart to get John Toll to DP.
 

Doug Schiller

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 16, 1998
Messages
766

I had major problems with Mystic River, and Gone Baby Gone had similar coincedence driven plot but I had no problem with it.

That said, I hated the ending, not because of the film, the story overall.
I knew what was going to happen but I begged and pleaded it go the way his girlfriend wanted it to go.
I really ended up loving her character, she may have been wrong and Casey right but she knew she could never be with him after that.

It may have been the right thing to do in his eyes but there is so much more to it than "because he makes her sandwiches?" He has no idea what he sentenced her to (I think he figured it out at the end).
 

Bruce Morrison

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 16, 2001
Messages
545
I thought Michelle Monaghan's role was pointless. Her character does almost nothing during most of the film except providing a sidekick for the Casey Affleck character. She seemed to be there purely to articulate the other side of the final debate about what should happen to the child - but that was virtually a re-run of the same debate that Affleck's character had just had with the Morgan Freeman character.

And that whole middle section involving the missing boy and the paedophile seemed an unnecessary side-track from the main plot, purely to give Ed Harris an opportunity for a bit of bravura acting and to establish that his character had lied earlier in the film and was therefore a suspect.

Overall, I found this rather disappointing.
 

Michael Reuben

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 12, 1998
Messages
21,763
Real Name
Michael Reuben
Couldn't disagree more. It was an essential part of the story. A complete explanation is in my post linked above.

M.
 

Bruce Morrison

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 16, 2001
Messages
545

Michael, you make some very good points in your explanation. I'm quite willing to believe that I might have not got everything out of the film on first viewing, so I'll watch it again soon. I usually find films such as GBG repay more than one viewing. Thanks for your post.
 

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