Even movies about missing white girls make it difficult for me to care.

I watched Gone Baby Gone last night specifically because Amy Ryan is in it, and she was also on The Wire. I didn't know much about it other than Ben Affleck directed it, and I didn't have great hopes for it. BUT it did get moderately good reviews, and Netflix predicted I would give it four stars, so I gave it a whirl.

Unfortunately, it never got away from being a sub-par genre film based on what is most-likely a sub-par genre novel by mystery author Dennis Lehane. I've never read anything of his, but he did write Mystic River, which was an excellent film (which should have beat out The Return of the King for that year's Oscar for Best Picture). The difference between the two adaptations, however, is that Mystic River really focused on its characters as the basis for the film, while Gone Baby Gone tries to do too much stylistically and regrettably forgets to make the plot make any sense or make anyone in the film worth caring about.

I will say, however, that Amy Ryan was fantastic and deserves her Oscar nomination. It's tough, now, for me to decide if I think she should win over Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There (who will probably win, as the Academy loves it win famous people play other famous people in movies).

If you'd like more details about it, I suggest you read World Class Stupid's dead-on reaction to the film. And then go rent The Wire.

And a fun Wire-related bonus: OMAR was in it!