Gone Baby Gone

Second, in attempting to make the picture as naturalistic as possible, the writer-director has filled it with an uncommon number of disreputable characters, more ignominious people than I believe one would ever encounter in real life. Virtually everyone we meet in the story is rowdy or hate-filled or as ready to shoot you as look at you, including the supposedly ordinary neighbors. There's a bar full of folks here who make the cantina scene in "Star Wars" look like a nursery school. The movie wallows in drugs, alcohol, prostitution, killing, anger, and child abuse to the point where we wonder if there are really any "good" people left in the world. I would call it piling on.

And, third, and perhaps most detrimental, there is an ending that tries to get the viewer to ponder ethical dilemmas but does so by creating a situation really difficult to believe. One has to applaud a film that poses the kind of hard questions we hope we never have to face, but I wish the film had reached those ends without overstepping the bounds of credulity and common sense, which this film does. Still, it's a crime thriller after all, and I suppose we have to accept a degree of hyperbole in such things.

"Gone Baby Gone" has more convoluted twists and turns than the Roman catacombs, which you may or may not like any more than its depressingly dark mood or its questionable outcome. But you won't be able to stop thinking about the film for quite some time.

Video:
In general, the picture quality is pretty good. The Buena Vista video engineers use a high bit rate and an anamorphic widescreen transfer in reproducing the 1.85:1 ratio movie on disc. The image is a trifle soft and a little fuzzy around the edges, but it's not at all bad and the minor defects are hardly noticeable. Likewise, some minor haloing is barely discernible in a few scenes, depending on the movie's lighting conditions. Although there is a bit of film grain present, I noticed no added noise to speak of. Moreover, colors are quite natural, never too bright, never too faded or dull, and close-ups look especially realistic.

Audio:
There's not a lot to say about the Dolby Digital 5.1 sonics because this thriller is more talk than it is action. Kind of low-key in that way. That said, the sound picks up as the movie goes on, with a strong dynamic impact that isn't so obvious at first but makes itself known on select occasions that can startle you out of your seat. Likewise, the film carries a strong bass response when the time arises. As far as surround activity goes, there isn't a lot here, either; indeed, I wasn't aware of any, which may be a good thing because it didn't distract me from the story line.

Extras:
The bonus features include the usual items, so you won't find as many surprises here as in the movie. We get the usual audio commentary, this one by writer-director Ben Affleck and co-writer Aaron Stockard; the usual deleted scenes, six of them including an extended ending, with optional commentary by Affleck and Stockard; and two featurettes: "Capturing Authenticity: Casting Gone Baby Gone," nine minutes, and "Going Home: Behind the Scenes With Ben Affleck," seven minutes. None of this exactly inspired me, but it's nice to have around.

The extras conclude with twenty-one scene selections and a chapter insert; Sneak Peeks at four other Buena Vista products; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; French and Spanish subtitles; English captions for the hearing impaired; and a handsomely embossed slipcover.

Parting Thoughts:
People looking not only for a good crime thriller but a thoughtful one, too, will find what they're looking for in "Gone Baby Gone." While the movie may take a rather tortuous path to reach its ends, there is no doubt that it leaves one with something to chew on for a long while afterwards, something few such genre movies can provide. As I say, it's not a bad first effort from writer-director Affleck.

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