AMBER--ER, AFFLECK--ALERT!
Last night, I attended the Boston premiere of Gone Baby Gone (Miramax, 10/19) and its after-party at Felt, one of Beantown's nicest lounges. The film, which is a gritty drama about the search for a missing child in Boston, marks the feature directorial debut of Ben Affleck, who cast his younger brother Casey Affleck in the leading role. Michelle Monaghan, Amy Ryan, Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, John Ashton, Titus Welliver, and Morgan Freeman also star.
Before I go any further, let me give you the bottom line: anyone who has ever underestimated Ben Affleck should look out—he has turned out a film that is unquestionably one of the very best of the year.
Miramax president Daniel Battsek opened the evening with some general remarks. Ben Affleck then introduced/thanked the large number of cast, crew, friends, and family in attendance—they included Casey Affleck; Amy Ryan; his wife, the actress Jennifer Garner (soon to appear in Juno); his best friend, the actor Matt Damon; author Dennis Lehane, who wrote the novel upon which this film (and Mystic River) was based; and Aaron Stockard, who adapted the novel into a screenplay. Ben also had the awkward job of informing a few people in attendance who expected to see themselves on the big screen that they he was forced to cut them out at the last minute--all seemed to take it in good humor.
I will have more to say about the film soon—things are hectic now and I don't want to shortchange it by doing a quick write-up. I will, however, say this:
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If you wondered, as I did, whether Casey Affleck is a talented actor or just a quiet guy trying his best, wonder no more—his skilled performance in this film, as a worldly-wise private eye who is part-everyman and part-Philip Marlowe (complete with voiceover narration in the opening sequence) erased any doubts I had. In a crowded field of Best Actor contenders, he deserves serious consideration for a nomination.
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Amy Ryan has received two nominations for a Tony and could well be on her way to picking up her first for an Oscar. You will love hating her. (I spoke with her last night, and will be interviewing her tomorrow.)
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And, finally, let me point out something that others have failed to thus far: Ed Harris deserves to be right in the mix for a supporting actor nomination. He is one of our finest actors, and deserves credit for taking on colorful character parts.
If I was filling out an Oscar ballot today, this film would have my vote for a Best Picture nomination. There are some big questions, however, about how Academy members will read the film:
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Will they be able to see past its somewhat bleak worldview and appreciate its outstanding craft?
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How will they respond to the foul language, drug use, and immense violence that are prevalent throughout the film, even if they are totally necessary, in my opinion, to preserve the authenticity and believability of the situations presented? Will the film be shunned, like Pulp Fiction, or embraced, like Mystic River and The Departed, which are almost sister-films in terms of their blunt but strikingly authentic portrayals of the criminal underbelly of south Boston (Dorchester, Chelsea, etc.).
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And, finally, will they be capable of objectively looking at a film directed by Ben Affleck? Over the past ten years, he has been on a remarkable odyssey: he and Damon shared the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997); then he turned to purely commercial fare; then he met Jennifer Lopez and they became the paparazzi's favorite targets and a joke, of sorts, thanks in no small part to the horrendous Gigli; then he disappeared for a while and married Jennifer Garner; and now, by all appearances, we are witnessing the second coming of Ben Affleck. It is no wonder, after all he has been through, that Affleck has decided to step out of the spotlight and behind the camera, at least part-time. It is, however, remarkably impressive to see how smooth a transition he has made. (In a recent interview with the New York Times, he said, "In the beginning, part of wanting to be a director was just a natural extension of acting. This feels like what I am, or what I want to be, it's so satisfying and exhilarating. In fact, the central preoccupation of my life right now is trying to find another movie to direct.") Ironically, the question for Ben Affleck now is whether or not people will still pay him attention.
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