Gone Baby Gone

By Nathan Young

Some films stay with you long after you've left the theater. 'Gone Baby Gone', the directorial debut of Ben Affleck, is one of those. A moral choice with more gray area than black or white leaves you with an unresolved feeling as the final credits roll. There is a lot to like in this film, and I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.

Affleck had a major hand in this project. He co-wrote the screenplay (the film was adapted from Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name) in addition to his directing and producing duties. Affleck's biggest contribution to the film, however, may have been convincing his little brother to star in it.

Casey Affleck plays Patrick Kenzie, a Boston private investigator that looks into missing person cases. His partner Angie (Michelle Monaghan) also happens to be his live-in girlfriend. A married couple who's four-year-old niece has disappeared comes to Patrick and Angie for help. While the girl's mother Helene (Amy Ryan) does not seem as interested in finding her, they decide to take the case.

Police chief Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) reluctantly offers his assistance to Patrick and Angie, allowing them to pick the brains of two of his detectives, Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Nick Poole (John Ashton). When Patrick's attempts to sniff out info from neighborhood sources fail, all hopes of finding the girl seem lost. That's when it is discovered that Helene has not been completely honest about her whereabouts the night of her daughter's disappearance.

Ben Affleck does a wonderful job of keeping the plot moving. The story never gets stale or predictable. He keeps the audience guessing and deftly sets up the gut wrenching choice at the end without tipping his hand. He also gives an honest portrayal of his hometown, right down to the thick accents and blue collar mentality.

The acting in this film is phenomenal. Casey Affleck is revelatory. He brings grit and realism to Patrick. His performance is arguably the best of his career, and he is primed to become a big star. Monaghan again shows why she was the best thing about the disappointing 'The Heartbreak Kid'. Angie is reserved but displays an inner strength that suggests she will not get pushed around. Morgan Freeman appears too briefly, but turns in a standard Morgan Freeman performance. Ed Harris is amazing as the torured and confused Bressant. His performance runs the emotional gamut, and Harris is up to the task every step of the way. Ryan is also fantastic as Helene.

The film is many things all at once: a taut thriller, a dazzling mystery and a morality play. It also makes my top five movies of the year list. I highly recommend it.

Lars And The Real Girl

By Nathan Young

A movie about a man's relationship with an anatomically correct "love" doll would not normally interest me. I decided to give 'Lars and the Real Girl' a chance after reading several glowing reviews written by critics I respect, such as Roger Ebert. I am glad I did, as I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.

This film is a funny, feel good story about Lars (Ryan Gosling), a socially awkward and painfully shy man living in his brother's garage. His sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) tries to bring him out of his shell, but his brother Gus (Paul Schneider) thinks he is a lost cause.

One day a co-worker shows Lars a website that sells lifesize sex dolls. He orders one, but not for the intended purpose. Lars introduces Bianca to Gus and Karin as his girlfriend. After the initial shock wears off, Gus and Karin take Lars to see a psychologist named Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson). Her advice to them is to let the delusion continue and to treat Lars and Bianca as if they are a real couple. She reasons that Lars will eventually come to realize he doesn’t need her.

The town’s reaction to Bianca is priceless. A scene in which a child is sitting on Bianca’s lap at the doctor’s office is comedic gold. Mrs. Gruler (Nancy Beatty), a member of the church that Lars attends, makes sure the congregation bends over backwards for the new couple. His co-workers invite Lars and Bianca to a party. Margo (Kelli Garner), a co-worker with an unrequited crush on Lars, even treats Bianca respectfully.

My father-in-law Ray Spencer, who attended the screening with me, observed that this film is about emotional healing. I couldn’t agree more. Lars is closed off to the world because his mother died giving birth to him and his father has passed away recently. He cannot bear human contact, experiencing physical pain whenever another person touches him. Bianca allows him to be himself without fear of abandonment or physical contact.

Gosling is without a doubt the reason to watch this film. His performance is one of the best this year. Lars is oblivious to the world around him, yet is at peace with his loner status. His relationship with Bianca allows him to relate to other people, and Gosling handles the transformation with ease. He should be prepared for his name to be called a lot during awards season.

Craig Gillespie beautifully directs Nancy Oliver’s script. The supporting cast all play their parts perfectly. Mortimer is empathetic and lovable as Karin. A scene in which she lashes out at Lars when he feels sorry for himself is the kind of performance that could be rewarded at Oscar time. Margo’s delightful quirkiness and longing heart are wonderfully brought to life by Garner. Schneider and Clarkson are strong as well.

The thing I love most about this film is its tastefulness. A movie about this subject matter could easily go for the cheap joke. To Gillespie and Oliver’s credit, they never take the low road. It incorporates comedy and drama, and is one of the year’s most pleasant surprises. I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a good offbeat comedy.

Rendition

By Nathan Young

Political films tend to chase away the casual moviegoer. They want to see explosions or be swept off their feet in a whirlwind romance. It is rare to find a film that captivates the audience while also challenging it to think. ‘Rendition’ is that film, which is why I am giving it a ‘thumbs up’.

Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) is on his way back to the United States from a business trip to South Africa. During a layover in Washington, he is plucked from the airport and whisked away to an unidentified North African country for interrogation about his role in a terrorist bombing. His wife Isabella (Reese Witherspoon) and son are waiting to pick him up in Chicago only to be told he never even boarded the plane in D.C.

Abasi Fawal (Yigal Naor), a local cop, and a green CIA agent named Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) question Anwar about the bombing and his connection to its mastermind. Abasi is so preoccupied with Anwar that he fails to notice when his daughter Fatima (Zineb Oukach) runs off with a young militant named Khalid (Mohammed Khouas).

Back in the States, Isabella sets out for Washington to find some answers about her husband. She enlists the help of her college boyfriend, Alan Smith (Peter Sarsgaard), who works for a U.S. Senator (Alan Arkin). In the process, they run into resistance from the head of American intelligence Corrine Whitman (Meryl Streep). Alan explains to Isabella the concept of ‘extraordinary rendition’, which allows the American government to take suspected terrorists to other countries for interrogation.

This film does a fine job of walking the political tightrope. When Alan is explaining the concept of rendition to Isabella, he notes that the policy was started under Bill Clinton but has been used considerably by George W. Bush since 9/11. The film seems to say that the use of this tactic is a gray area no matter what side of the conservative/liberal line you fall on.

‘Rendition’ works because director Gavin Hood brings out the gamut of emotions in his actors. Witherspoon brings a realistic sense of frustration and weariness to Isabella as her attempts to find Anwar are consistently stonewalled. She shows why she is one of the best actresses around in a scene in which Isabella screams at Corrine to tell her that her husband is okay.

Gyllenhaal gives an appropriately measured performance as Douglas. He stays detached emotionally as long as he can, but eventually cannot stand to see Anwar suffer anymore. Viewers may agree because the torture scenes are difficult to watch.

Streep, Arkin and Sarsgaard are all proficient. Streep is especially noteworthy for her stone cold portrayal of Corrine, which is reminiscent of her Golden Globe-nominated performance in ‘The Manchurian Candidate’

The Muslim characters were the best part of the film. Abasi was a complex individual and Naor adeptly displayed his Jekyll and Hyde personality. The forbidden love story between Fatima and Khalid was also intriguing because of the outstanding performances of Oukach and Khouas.

This film was entertaining and thought provoking. The acting was stellar and the writing was crisp. It kept my interest from start to finish and I recommend it highly to lovers of political thrillers.