Review Gone Baby Gone

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Gone Baby Gone is Ben Affleck’s first directorial debut and he did a bang up job! I have to admit that Gone Baby Gone was nothing like I expected it to be. It was suspenseful and it held my attention. But more than that, it was real. Affleck turned a suspense-filled mystery novel into what could easily have been the documentary of a missing child.

Gone Baby Gone is about two young private detectives—a couple—who take on the case of a missing girl even though the female partner believes it will be the death of their relationship. But when the sister-in-law begs and pleads with the two young detectives, they decide they can’t “not” take the case.

This isn’t your normal child abduction by a long shot! There’s no ransom note, the child was snatched right from her bedroom, there are no signs of a break in, and no reason to believe the child was taken for sexual purposes. So who would want a little girl from a poor family on the bad side of town? And can the young couple unravel the mystery?

That’s what Gone Baby Gone is all about. While I am sure you can get a detailed plot analysis on in another review, I strongly urge you not to. You must experience the movie, without knowing the who, what, when, or why because then and only then can you truly get the full experience Affleck was going for and that’s to really keep you on your toes, and get you to think for yourself.

And I guess that’s what I like best about Gone Baby Gone. So many movies give the plot away before you get a third of the way into the movie. It’s as though the director or the writer thinks you’re dumb and won’t be able to figure things out for yourself. But with Affleck’s movie, you must think for yourself because he doesn’t give anything away. And just when you think the movie is over, it ain’t! The true ending comes later and you’ll be quite surprised by the outcome, I know I was—even though my husband had figured it out already, I had a few suspicions but never actually believed…

I do think the extended ending was a spoiler, however. I much prefer believing in happy endings, but alas, life is what it is and if Affleck was to stay true to the human nature he so beautifully portrayed in the film, the extended ending was a must.

Okay before I break down and give you the plot details, I’m going to eat breakfast. Seriously, if you haven’t seen the film, watch it. And if you thought to yourself, “that movie doesn’t look good” think again. It is really good; especially if you like suspense.