Screen Time

When I caught the first TV ad for the upcoming thriller “Gone Baby Gone,” starring Ben Affleck’s younger brother Casey, I thought, “Wow, Casey Affleck’s really getting a lot of good roles these days.”

It was looking like Casey was in and Ben was out, but that was before I realized that Ben directed and co-wrote “Gone Baby Gone,” and the film is earning some strong reviews.

Variety praised “Gone” and had kind words for Affleck’s directorial skill. So did The Hollywood Reporter, and PopMatters.com calls Affleck’s directorial debut “moviemaking of classic neo-noir artistry.” All that and the movie looks pretty good too. Check the trailer after the jump.

Most moviegoers know Affleck as the other half of the monster that was “Bennifer” or as a smug, square-jawed, mildly talented actor who gets the roles pal Matt Damon, Jude Law and Brad Pitt turn down. I get why people would slight the guy - I saw “Paycheck,” “Bounce” and “Gigli” - but I always knew Affleck had more to offer. The guy’s smart, funny, he’s got some talent, and he’s always supported independent film. He’s done most of his best work in Kevin Smith films and he’s done a lot (on and off the screen) to boost Smith’s career. He and Damon founded, with all good intentions, Project Greenlight to help talented undiscovered filmmakers launch their careers, and he won an Oscar for co-writing “Good Will Hunting,” directed by indie maverick Gus Van Sant. So I’m glad Affleck is getting some praise for his first turn behind the camera.

It looks like the guy might stay behind the camera. He told the New York Times that directing is his calling and that the central preoccupation of his life now is trying to find another movie to direct. “This (a director) feels like what I am, or what I want to be. It’s so satisfying and exhilarating,” he said.

I look forward to catching “Gone Baby Gone,” which opens this Friday and also stars Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. I also look forward to hearing about Affleck’s future directorial projects and, hopefully, they’ll feature brother Casey, who’s always fun to watch on screen.

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Photo courtesy Miramax Films

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