Gone Baby Gone

This movie was released in 2007, is rated R, and lasts 2 hours. A successful directorial debut by Ben Affleck. The screenplay was adapted by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard, from a book written by Dennis Lehane.
The plot is.....
Amanda McCready is a 4 year old girl, mysteriously abducted. The mother is doped out and not helping with the search. The child's aunt, played by Amy Madigan, hires Patrick and Angie to find the girl. The PI's discover that the girl was abducted because of a drug deal gone bad, an this an attempt by the dealer to recover his stolen money. An exchange is arranged, during which the girl drowns in a quarry lake. Later another child abduction leads to Patrick killing the pedophile and clues about Amanda's abduction. Patrick figures out that Remy and Jack were the abductors working in cahoots with Amanda's uncle, purpose in part to be removing the kid from the unsafe home. Patrick is posed with a moral choice of revealing the truth and having the child returned to the nut-job doper mother, or leaving well enough alone, where the girl is clearly well cared for. Patrick chooses the former, Angie leaves him, Jack goes to jail, the uncle goes to jail and Remy dies. The movie ends with Patrick visiting Helene and Amanda, Helene is already up to her old tricks, drinking and running. Patrick feels responsible and volunteers to watch the little girl.
Actors are....

• Casey Affleck as Patrick Kenzie, the Boston streetwise private investigator with specialization in missing persons. Affleck, native to Boston does a great job.
• Michelle Monaghan as Angie Gennaro, Patrick's partner in PI work as well as love interest. This actress is unknown to me, but plays well the part of a woman with a past of childhood abuse.
• Ed Harris as Remy Bressant, detective and N'orlins transplant. Harris is always good, and no exception here, plays this man of conflicting morals.
• Morgan Freeman as Jack Doyle, the crusading policeman protector of children. A different role to this 71 year old actor, but well done.
• Amy Ryan playing the part of the doper whore mother, Helene McCready, was nominated for an Oscar as Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. A role well crafted to be despicable person.
  

This movie gets a score of 38 of 50, a high score. I think you should watch this movie.

• Character development 9 of 10. Interesting progression of choices for all the main characters.
• Screenplay 7 of 10. Fits Boston wicked.
• Acting 8 of 10. Good ensemble cast, good work.
• Cinematography 6 of 10. Since the movie was cast in my brother's old stomping grounds, loved seeing the old sights and the capture of neighborhoods. Similar to what you see in Mystic River.
• Concept 8 of 10. Child abuse and taking consequences for moral beliefs, top notch.