Monday, June 23, 2008

Another Good Movie

Saw another good movie this past weekend, thanks to Netflix. It's an adaptation of a Dennis LeHane book: Gone, Baby. Gone. It's a moralistic tale encased in crime that will leave you pondering for days: "What would I do in a similar situation?"

The setting is Dorchester, Boston's roughest, most blue-collar neighborhood. LeHane, a native to the area, writes down-to-earth, gritty, flawed characters. (He also wrote Mystic River, an equally excellent book and movie.) This film is directed by Ben Affleck, another Boston native, and stars his brother, Casey, as well as Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. As an aside, Ben should give up acting and move full-time into directing. He's much, much better at the latter than the former. His brother Casey, on the other hand, is a pretty decent actor. Certainly better than Ben, anyway. Morgan Freeman is, of course, excellent as always. And so is Ed Harris.

If you want a movie that will stick with you and make you think, see this film. Out of five stars, four.

4 comments:

Cele said...

rmember when this movie came out and I was humbled by Ben Affleck's sensitivity to a similar real life case and held the release date back. On the other hand his brother Casey rubbed me wrong in his interviews. But I will take your recommend and try this one.

I had bought Mystic River for my husband once, we waited probably a year before we watched it. Bad girl. I was memesmerized by the acting, the script, the acting, the directing, the acting, the story. Wow, riviting. So now I look forward... on your recommend... to Gone Baby, Gone.

J.M. Tewkesbury said...

Cele: It's an excellent film. I think even Ducky would enjoy it. And Mystic River is just as good! That movie stuck with me for a long, long time, too.

Anonymous said...

I was also impressed with Gone Baby Gone -- Ben, I didn't know you had it in ya! And Casey was great, too. He's very, very watchable.

J.M. Tewkesbury said...

AV: And don't you think Ben should skip acting and go with directing? I think he could be the next great director and might restore my faith in American film...