GONE BABY GONE
Directed by Ben Affleck
Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris.
Distributed by Berjaya HVN Sdn Bhd

THE DVD cover looks like some tightly-packed actioner about cops running after baddies, a’la Along Came A Spider (incidentally starring Morgan Freeman as well). Rightly so, but this one involves more drama due to the fact that it’s based on the novel of the same title by Dennis Lehane (who also wrote Mystic River, successfully made into a movie).

Gone Baby Gone opens with the kidnapping of a little girl. While the police, headed by Jack Doyle (Freeman) try their best to locate the child, the little girl’s auntie engages private eyes Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Monaghan) to ensure success.

Unwittingly, they uncover a twist, which brings about a “moral dilemma” ending — deciding between doing the right thing and doing the best thing.

Casey, who sounds like someone who’s tipsy for much of the movie, irritates me, though he redeems himself towards the end with his convincing naivete. Freeman, and Harris (as hard-boiled detective Remy Bressant), give awesome performances with their wealth of acting experience, providing for much of the movie’s enjoyment.
Catch the bonus footage of Ben Affleck talking about his directorial debut. And be careful if you want to watch this with your family! As this film is unrated (the DVD cover didn’t indicate the film’s rating), I wasn’t prepared for the amount of profanity and grainy violence that greeted me.

Rating: HHH


NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS
Directed by Jon Turteltaub
Starring Nicolas Cage, Hervey Keitel, Diane Kruger, Ed Harris, Helen Mirren.
Distributed by Berjaya HVN Sdn Bhd

WHEN a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, treasure hunter Ben Gates’ great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death. Determined to prove his ancestor’s innocence, Ben follows clues that take him on a chase across the Atlantic and back — to the trail of the world’s most treasured secrets.

This film definitely has producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s signature comprising mainly of adrenaline-pumping action and minimal character development. It takes a while to sink into the “conspiracy” too, resulting in the desperate attempt by Gates to kidnap the president.

What is entertaining is watching Gates and company on a race for clues which is akin to The Amazing Race (also a handiwork of Bruckheimer). While the only bonus feature here is the audio commentary which I don’t care much about, I enjoyed the movie anyway. Just sit back with a bag of homemade popcorn.

Rating: HHH

HHHHH Excellent
HHHH Very Good
HHH Good
HH Fair
H Poor