Ben Affleck was last on TDS about a year ago, on Talk Like a Pirate day. I guess I was kinda sick of hearing about him then. But this time around, what Googled up was all about his new movie (well, almost all). Gone Baby Gone (based on a PI novel set in Boston) is Affleck's directorial debut, stars baby brother Casey Affleck, and apparently
It's official: Ben Affleck isn't embarrassing anymore.
With 40 reviews up at Rottentomatoes (including a bunch of the biggies), it's got a 90% rating. Approval isn't universal, but here's a taste:
For all the rough-and-tumble action sequences, skillfully choreographed by Affleck, Gone Baby Gone is a thinking man’s crime film, whose deeply etched characters and brilliant plotting have a near-Shakespearean power. The conclusion of the film seems simple, quite banal, but achieves considerable power without the need for kettledrums on the soundtrack
In more measured terms, here's the RottenTomatoes summary:
CRITICAL CONSENSUS
Ben Affleck proves his directing credentials in this gripping dramatic thriller, drawing strong performances from the excellent cast and bringing working-class Boston to the screen.
SYNOPSIS
IN THEATRES OCTOBER 19, 2007 (Limited)
Ben Affleck directs younger brother Casey in this adaptation of the novel by MYSTIC RIVER author Dennis Lehane. When a young girl is stolen from her home, a pair of investigators search desperately for the child in the streets of Boston. GONE BABY GONE also stars Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, and Ed Harris.
It's hard to predict, but I'm betting on a fluffy interview to lead us into -- brace yourselves -- a week off. Yes, both shows are dark next week. And there's muttering about a writers strike, so I'm contemplating Grinder singing "Solidarity Forever." But in the meantime, the Daily Show has a new site with just about the entire video archive going back to 1999 -- covering the entire Jon era. If that's what they've been working on, I'll forgive the TDS email crew for, um, being a bit behind with their "this week on" newsletters. I just hope the video works for everyone.
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