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In what may well be the best review of Ben Affleck’s life, the Hollywood Reporter extols his virtues in his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, in which he directs brother Casey.

“Universally derided” is how the trade paper describes Ben Affleck’s acting abilities, despite the Oscar win he shared with Matt Damon back in 1997 since that was for screenwriting, not performing. But they say of Gone Baby Gone that it’s “mordant, melancholic but impressive.” An industry rave if ever we heard one.

Ben Affleck did a good acting job in Hollywoodland, the story of George Reeves’ alleged suicide, and he wasn’t that bad as an extra in the Fenway Park scenes of Kevin Costner’s 1989 Field of Dreams, but that may have been because Matt Damon was also an extra in the same scenes. Those outstanding exceptions aside, I have to agree with other critics about Ben’s acting disabilities.

Gone Baby Gone stars Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Robert Wahlberg, and Amy Madigan, in addition to Casey Affleck. The screenplay by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane who also wrote Mystic River, and both films share subtle similarities. If directorial similarities are present, perhaps Affleck will follow Eastwood to win another Oscar for directing a picture based on a Lehane book.

Casey Affleck plays Patrick Kenzie, a Boston P.I. investigating the case of a missing 4-year-old girl. The film is said to contain a “rich gallery of vivid characters,” some mordant humor, pedophilia, drugs, and interesting characterizations by a stable of fine actors. Ed Harris plays a cynical cop (is there any other kind?), Morgan Freeman the chief of police (a small but pivotal role), and Michelle Monaghan is Patrick’s girlfriend who assists in his investigation.

Gone Baby Gone is a Miramax Film, produced by Alan Ladd, Jr., Dan Rissner and Sean Bailey, executive producer is David Crockett with an “evocative score” by Harry Gregson-Williams. Opens Halloween.