Gone Baby Gone

Basq

Excellent directorial debut from Ben Affleck and starring the always excellent though under-rated (and more talented in my opinion) Affleck brother - Casey.

Also stars Michelle "Foxxxxy" Monaghan, Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris - it probably won't get Ben an Oscar but it's well directed, well acted though occassionally suffers from mild pacing issues. An interesting film especially given the Madelaine McCann case in the limelight for the 8 months or so.

Still, it's probably the best film i've seen so far this year (HA! ) but out of all the Oscar contenders i've seen, it's by far the finest.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_F_SH07nsE

Been looking forward to this myself. Was hoping to see it in the cinema but due to the McCann case I have to resort to the old 52" at home. The novel is a fantastic read and one wich I highly recommend even reads.

Think I may just go watch this now, as there's no point putting it off anly longer. Hopefully it will match my expectations which are pretty damn high.

AckwelFoley

Seen it in November in the US.

Wasnt expecting much.

It was the best movie of 2007 by a country mile... and i see on average 100 cinema movies a year!

Its not out here until April due to little old maddie.

doctor evil

Looks good, is it on general release or has it gone straight to DVD?.

Tusky

Deleted User wrote: »

I have to resort to the old 52" at home.

aww, poor guy. Sounds awful. :rolleyes:

Tusky

Tusky wrote: »

aww, poor guy. Sounds awful. :rolleyes:

I know, it's a hard life. Trying to wreastle control of the remote from my soccer obsessed siblings.:D

AckwelFoley

doctor evil wrote: »

Looks good, is it on general release or has it gone straight to DVD?.

No it will make the cinemas, but not until April.. it opened in November in the US.

Driver 8

Good film, but they screwed up the character of Angie horribly

Snake Plisken

Just watched this very good movie, impressed with Ben as a director and Casey gave a great performance and he has come good with two strong movies in the last 12 months, I thought he was a bit part actor who got parts thanks to his brother (only knew him from the Oceans movies).
Best movie I've seen in the last few months! Its a pity its release has been held up but I'm sure we all understand why as its very similar to the McCann case.

jonny72

Dreadful film.

Where do I start? one of the most unrealistic pieces of crap I have ever seen. The piled-on Boston rubbish was so over the top its actually put me off 'good will hunting' forever. Drug dealers and child molesters all living conveniently together. A tender loving couple that gets guns routinely pointed at their faces they don't even flinch, its so over the top it actually has to be seen to be believed.

If you like stupid unrealistic comic book crime thrillers with bad actors, bad acting, an even worse script then maybe this is for you.

s8n

fantastic movie. Should have been nominated for more awards, certainly better than the overrated dross that is No Country for old men....

Snake Plisken

jonny72 wrote: »

Dreadful film.

Where do I start? one of the most unrealistic pieces of crap I have ever seen. The piled-on Boston rubbish was so over the top its actually put me off 'good will hunting' forever. Drug dealers and child molesters all living conveniently together. A tender loving couple that gets guns routinely pointed at their faces they don't even flinch, its so over the top it actually has to be seen to be believed.

If you like stupid unrealistic comic book crime thrillers with bad actors, bad acting, an even worse script then maybe this is for you.

Looks like your in a minority here! Rotten Tomatoes gives it 93% & imdb 8 out of 10! I have to admit I wasn't expecting much but was pleasently surprised by it, and when it does finally open here I think critics and moviegoers will agree that it will be one of the best of 2008!

Peyton Manning

Amazing film. Amy Ryan deserves a Best Supporting Actress Oscar without a doubt.

pickarooney

Just saw this and really, really liked it. Wasn't expecing much but it was a relief to find an intriguing, engaging film after weeks watching oscar-nominated crud.

MisterAnarchy

Saw this a while back and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Good plot and builds nicely towards the end.
Casey Affleck however is an appalling actor,he really needs to learn how to speak coherently.
He mumbles for the whole film,I couldnt understand him alot of the time and I have excellent hearing.
Other actors were fine .
Well worth a watch .

Wacker

I watched it last weekend. I liked it. The ending generated a moral debate between my mates, which doesn't happen often.
Ben Affleck may have stigmatized himself too much in front of the camera to have much of a career any more. Maybe he can do better behind the camera.

nacho libre

s8n wrote: »

fantastic movie. Should have been nominated for more awards, certainly better than the overrated dross that is No Country for old men....

Snap.

dog-man-star

This was pushed back in Ireland and England due to the disappearance of Madeline McCann - it didn't go straight to DVD, it will have a cinema release but not until June! (assuming no more kids go missing in the mean time)

Humpty_Dumpty

jonny72 wrote: »

Dreadful film.

Where do I start? one of the most unrealistic pieces of crap I have ever seen. The piled-on Boston rubbish was so over the top its actually put me off 'good will hunting' forever. Drug dealers and child molesters all living conveniently together. A tender loving couple that gets guns routinely pointed at their faces they don't even flinch, its so over the top it actually has to be seen to be believed.

If you like stupid unrealistic comic book crime thrillers with bad actors, bad acting, an even worse script then maybe this is for you.

(Belatedly) I'm with you - I thought the film was woeful! It pained me to see actors of the quality of Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris appearing in such dross, especially alongside someone like Casey Affleck who makes your average Fair City actor look Olivier-like :rolleyes: He's dire.

Ludicrous plot, pitiful script - I HATED IT!

PS Did I mention I didn't like it?

Driver 8

It's a pitiful script, but Juno is sharp and funny? Eh?

Humpty_Dumpty

Driver 8 wrote: »

It's a pitiful script, but Juno is sharp and funny? Eh?

You didn't find the exchange between the ultrasound woman and the stepmother sharp and witty? Maybe you had to have once been at the mercy of an ultrasound creature to get it

Or the shopkeeper re the pregnancy kit: That ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet.

No?

Okay, we define 'sharp and witty' differently, evidently.

Driver 8

Yes, you're defining it as a "hip" thirty-something populating a film with "trendy" dialogue that serves no purpose but to make her characters unrealistic and show off her fabulous taste in all things indie music and cult film.

Honest to blog

Humpty_Dumpty

Driver 8 wrote: »

Yes, you're defining it as a "hip" thirty-something populating a film with "trendy" dialogue that serves no purpose but to make her characters unrealistic and show off her fabulous taste in all things indie music and cult film.

Honest to blog

Oh my oh my, you are an angry chappie, are you not? Crawling around the boards at night looking for someone to pick a squabble with because you need to vent your frustrations!!! And all you can find is someone who found a lickle movie witty - ah bless, you poor peddums, you must have been so provoked. (Or is that a touch too hip for you....gosh, I thought the word 'hip', ironically enough, went out of fashion 20 years ago. Ooops, might that be the problem here?).

Indeed, your dialogue serves no purpose whatsoever, pet. Run along Go watch Rambo, I'm sure you'll find it stimulating. Kissies.

PS Do you realise how often you have posted in sundry threads about Juno? Have you thought about seeking help with this obsession? And while you're at it, love, ask your therapist to teach you how not to enraged when someone expresses an opinion different to your own (see your previous 115,378 posts ). Deep breath, don't be angry. Night pet.

Driver 8

Rambo? The opposite of Juno is Rambo, really?

I wasn't looking for a fight, just thought it odd you hated Gone Baby Gone and loved Juno, given that I felt one was entirely more convincing and realistic than the other.

But go on, patronise me more, homeskillet

Humpty_Dumpty

Driver 8 wrote: »

Rambo? The opposite of Juno is Rambo, really?

I wasn't looking for a fight, just thought it odd you hated Gone Baby Gone and loved Juno, given that I felt one was entirely more convincing and realistic than the other.

But go on, patronise me more, homeskillet

Oh, I couldn't possibly compete with such incisive wit and acerbity, especially from a wannabe film critic

You thought Gone Baby Gone was realistic?

Right.

Night.

Driver 8

Not entirely realistic, just infinitely more so than Juno.

Wannable film critic? It's a film message board, we all are.

I, in my wisdom, was looking to discuss your problems with Gone Baby Gone. Apparently a little too much to ask?

Night :rolleyes:

The Freeman

Humpty_Dumpty wrote: »

(Belatedly) I'm with you - I thought the film was woeful! It pained me to see actors of the quality of Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris appearing in such dross, especially alongside someone like Casey Affleck who makes your average Fair City actor look Olivier-like :rolleyes: He's dire.

Ludicrous plot, pitiful script - I HATED IT!

PS Did I mention I didn't like it?

alright lads take it easy



imo i thoght it was a very enjoyable flick with great performances form all the lead characters including morgan freeman, it is very well directed and i do think 'big affleck' should stay behind the camera and cassey affleck should take over the family acting thrones simply because he is 10 time better of an actor(check out his performance in jesse james, completley differant character which could have been made 1 dimensional very easily)


and in my opinion juno is over-rated just like little miss sunshine was a year ago, was hoping for alot more from the 2 boys form arrested development(didn't even share a scene ffs)

Finally got around to watching Gone Baby Gone. I had been holding out for a cinema viewing but cracked last week and ordered the R1 DVD. Sat down earlier tonight and watched it with my parents. When it was over I watched it a second time and am all ready planning to watch it when I wake up in the after noon.

It's a truly fantastic film and is my favourite film of the year so far which is high praise indeed given that so far this year we've had No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Ben Affleck is a truly gifted director, his ability to capture the feel of the city and it's people was truly impressive.The scene where

Patrick found the boy in the bath tub was chilling. The fact that so little was shown made it all the more powerful.

In fact the entire scene is a master-class in how to create tension.

A lot of people seem to be criticising the accents. It should be remembered that a large portion of the supporting cast such as the bar patrons are not actors but actual people who live there. Casey Affleck was something else. He has the ability to be one of the finest actors of his generation and if rumours are to be believed he may very well be seen in the third Batman film.

Hardrain

Was blown away by it. Gut wreching. As for the accents they are very real, I spent time in Nashua which is not far from Dorchestor, Nashua is mentioned a few times in the movie and the accents in the film are as real as a lot of people I met.

paulanthony

Great film

Snake Plisken

Great flick seems to be only hitting the cinemas this week.
Alas it looks like Humpty Dumpty fell off his wall no posts since march thank God

Ay Cee

Opens on Friday it seems.

faceman

Went to see this yesterday. I kind of have conflicting views on it, which will probably seem odd. Anyway heres my view.

Affleck did a good job at directing, and Affleck Junior's performance was good, although he has yet to prove himself IMO.

The film was entertaining but i felt it was too far fetched to grasp as the plot unfolded. Monaghan's character really served no purpose in anyway.

Plus the ending with the added moral question just flew over my head.

I was confused at parts of the film, especially when we see the

childs head in the sink

I wasnt sure who's it was.

Also Amanda's

death during the ambush scene was too wishy washy setting up the fact a twist would unearth later on

Ive probably contradicted myself in my above comments but im still trying to get my head around it! The pace of the film was spot on, plot progressed but it was too unrealistic and far fetched for me to take in too easily.

Driver 8

As much as I liked the film, as much as it captured the mood of Lehane's novel well, the one issue I have with it is with the character of Angie. I've seen a few people say they found the character pointless. In the books, this is far from the case, it's as important as Patrick, just as tough, and far more vocal (those moments where Pat stands up for her in the movie made me cringe slightly).

The moment where she jumps into the quarry is about all that remains of the Angie from the books. Maybe Affleck wanted to make it more Pat's story, but I can't help thinking that if you cared more about their relationship, the latter half of the film would have more impact. Strong film all the same, though.

Im_No_Superman

Went to see this last night and was very impressed. Really liked the ending, posed some tough questions as in what would you have done. Excellant directing debut by Ben Affleck imo.

Corholio

Saw this during the week and i must say i thought it was a superb film.

From the excellent opening narrative to the ending i was thoroughly entertained throughout.

Ive always thought Ben Affleck has been harshly treated by critics, not because he hasnt been in some stinker of films, because he has. But because mostly its been his film selection that has been pretty poor. Its early days yet with him as a director but i found his style very impressive and the fact we know he can write films as well then he should have a great future as a director.

Back to Gone Baby Gone, Casey Affleck is fast turning out to be a high quality actor even if he has been around for a few years. His performing looks effortless and his voice during the opening narrative has been stuck in my head since i saw the film.

Excellent film.