Gone Baby Gone ***1/2 (out of four): Impressive directing debut from media punching-bag Ben Affleck - featuring another fine performance from brother Casey - aims to be a "Chinatown" for the Boston set and nearly succeeds.

After the success – and Oscar win – of “Good Will Hunting”, Ben Affleck’s career went into what can only be called freefall. While pal - and Will Hunting himself - Matt Damon rose to moderate acclaim before being re-Bourne, a string of poor choices (“Forces of Nature”, “Pearl Harbor”, “Daredevil”) and poorer performances (see previous list, and note I haven’t even mentioned “Gigli”) made Mr. Affleck a media whipping boy. Like so many others (Paris, Britney, Lindsey etc), the press seemed eager to see him to fail. Eventually though, the success of the over-praised George Reeves biopic “Hollywoodland” became labeled a career “comeback”. Wisely, Mr. Affleck appears to have learned from his past. With “Gone Baby Gone”, he tries his hand, for the first time, at directing. And it seems his real talents may lie behind the camera.

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