CAST: Casey Affleck (Patrick Kenzie), Michelle Monaghan (Angie Gennaro), Morgan Freeman (Jack Doyle), Ed Harris (Detective Remy Bressant), John Ashton (Nick Poole), Amy Ryan (Helene McCready), Amy Madigan (Beatrice McCready), Titus Welliver (Lionel McCready) SCR: Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard DIR: Ben Affleck STUDIO: Miramax Films MPAA: R for violence, drug content and pervasive language. RUNNING TIME: 114 min. OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.gonebabygone-themovie.com IMDb: http://imdb.com/title/tt0452623/ Gone Baby Gone is such a relevant, infuriating, breathtaking piece of cinema, it's very easy to forget what a punchline its director and co-writer Ben Affleck had become. But this two hours all but erases the doubt about whether Affleck and Matt Damon actually wrote Good Will Hunting (rumors to the contrary have dogged the due since the Oscar win), all of Ben's paycheck grabs as an actor, and hell - possibly even the phenomenon known as Bennifer. Yeah, it's that good. There were a million ways to screw up adapting Gone Baby Gone - the fourth in a series built around Boston detectives and lovers Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennero (Michelle Monaghan). Dennis Lehane's novel about the kidnapping of a four-year old girl from one of the worst neighborhoods in Boston is a demanding piece with a murky morality offering arguments for and against, but never really taking a stand either way. In doing so, Affleck has guaranteed the movie will have a life of its own. I cannot imagine anybody with an IQ higher than a pencil not wanting to weigh in on the last act, which poses an infuriating argument so compelling that it's discovery (as a viewer or reader) reveals why this project exists in the first place. The question posed is the meat of the whole thing - but in deference those who are not familiar with the story, such spoilery conversations will have to be left up to you. If Affleck the director had merely serviced this powerful tale, it would still be one of the best films of 2007. But by choosing atmosphere over tired movie beats, he creates a dangerous world befitting of these colorful characters. This is Dorchester, a neighborhood where the roughest customers would be best advised to keep to themselves. As we open, Helene McCredie (Amy Ryan) is weathering a media storm over the disappearance of her daughter. And what a piece of work she is - drug addicted, profane, dumb as a post - and it only gets worse as the stories start coming out. She has a concerned group around her, but the concern is mainly pointed at the innocent girl, who not only didn't ask to be kidnapped, but certainly didn't ask for this cretin of a mother. But Ryan devours this role with relish. It's the kind of blinding star-making role that can build career momentum for a long time. Almost every character is cast note perfect: Morgan Freeman finally takes a complex role worthy of his talent after too many deified paychecks gigs; Ed Harris is as solid as usual (why does this man not have an Oscar?); and damn, it was good seeing Amy Madigan and John Ashton again. Casey Affleck probably knew he would have to fend off cries of nepotism, so he transforms himself once again. After such a nebbishy turn in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, it's quite surprising to see Affleck play such a flawed, but interesting character. He's slight and pretty, but acts tough and acquits himself well against random bursts of barroom violence. Of the entire ensemble, only Michelle Monaghan seemed a little lost. As Angie, half the investigating team, she doesn't get much to do, but when it absolutely counts, she's there to rip your heart out. And that's why Gone Baby Gone is such an exciting entry in the tired suspense genre. At the midpoint, it appears as if the movie heads down a different path with a new set of circumstances and choices. But that episode is not there by accident. It perfectly sets up the real theme: that the choices we make now have long-term effects. This isn't a “whodunit” or even a “whydunnit.” Instead, it very simply asks us all to consider if we could live with ourselves under the same circumstances. It's that question which haunts us when it's all said and done. --reviewed by DENNIS WILLIS