My relentless love of Ben Affleck has been redeemed. I knew he was worth my appreciation - through Pay Back and Sum of All Fears and Surviving Christmas I knew there was a reason why we should just be patient while he got the Bennifers and Daredevils out of his system.
That reason being -- the guy is clearly an amazing storyteller/director and the incredibly tense and painful to watch Gone Baby Gone just proves it. I had heard all these rumors about Good Will Hunting, that a script doctor actually did most of the heavy lifting of that screenplay and the boys took the kudos. Gone Baby Gone totally dispels that rumor. Now, granted Dennis Lehane's novel provided the bones for this movie -- and man are they good bones -- but as we all know - it can harder revising something to suit a new purpose than it is to start from scratch - which is why they have a best adapted screenplay oscar. But the dialogue in this movie is SO real. It's SO authentic. It's SO of character and not of plot necessity. And that has to be Affleck, right?
And moreover - the themes of the movie - right and wrong. The difference between moral and just? Lawful and criminal? Which could have been beaten to death (like a few characters in the film) - weren't. Everyone was good, everyone was bad. Choices were hard and harder. And Affleck handled it deftly - thanks in large part to Casey Affleck's acting. The guy is a cooler smarter Ben - without Ben's looks he clearly has had time to hone his chops in supporting parts and it really really shows. The guy is pretty darn riveting.
Ed Harris - of course - is amazing. Morgan Freeman does the same thing he always does and I'm more than tired of him. Amy Madigan (Ed Harris' wife and it's so not fair that he is aging the way he is and she is aging the way she is) steals the screen every time she's on. But the real delight is Ben Affleck. I will quietly go back to my now totally justified lusting....
8 comments:
I'm looking forward to that movie. I'm also starting to rethink my opinion on Ben.
And hearing really interesting things about Casey Affleck, whose apparently been amazing in two movies this year, this one and Jesse James.
Is it sad that I'm seriously thinking about going to see 30 days of night..
I do love vampires.
30 Days of Night is getting great reviews -- but sadly I am too much of a chicken. I want to see the Jesse James movie but it's in such limited release -- I have a hard time believing all the hype about Brad Pitt in that movie. But then -- look at Ben Affleck. I'm telling you Gone Baby Gone was great and he should get a nod for Adapted Screenplay -- it was sooooo tense.
You know, I have a sneaking suspicion the Jesse James movie might bore me.
Not enough explosions, perhaps..
Gone Baby Gone is definitely on my list, along with American Gangster.
Not sure what else. I have too much TV to catch up on. PVR's are wonderful things, but I have a back up happening.
I can't believe you actually typed the words "my relentless love of Ben Affleck." Just goes to show that it takes all kinds.
I admit he was good in that movie where he played the Superman guy.
But still... Ben Affleck? Daredevil. That JLo thing. The things he's inflicted on us, Molly!
Oh and Sinead will you please take my boyfriend to see 30 Days of Night? He keeps bugging me to see it and I loathe horror movies.
He's very nice normally, I promise, and he doesn't smell bad or anything.
Dear Abby... seriously, I just wanted to type that, although I'm sure you're sick to death of that saying..
Would love to take your boyfriend, but one of the many reasons(but one of the more important) I married my husband is, he loves horror movies almost as much as I do, and he doesn't watch sports.
Makes for a happy marriage.
So that said, I have to take him, and maybe my Dad. How does the boyfriend feel about tagging along?
I know I should apologize for these feelings I carry around for the guy- but I just can't. He's done some awful awful things. But I just really like him. Go see this movie Abby - it does redeem him. It really does.
I need to see that movie. Seeing Matt Damon on The Actor's Studio discounted those script doctor rumors for me. Still not 100% sure about Ben, but Matt is one smart cookie.
And I'm now a fan of the Casey. Another reason I'm looking fwd to seeing Gone Baby Gone. He was the best thing in the Jesse James movie and that's saying a lot coming from me (who has a serious Brad Pitt thing).
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