Set in a the city of Boston, a rough neighbourhood is thrown into turmoil when a four year old girl is abducted from her questionable mother.

As the media descend on the town, the family of the child contact private detective Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) to help the police investigate.
But as Patrick becomes further embroiled in the case, he soon finds that finding young Amanda McCready could mean losing everything in his own life.

Although the film is based on a book by Dennis Lehane, similarities between the Madeleine McCann case meant an eight month hold on the movie reaching our shores.

Gone Baby Gone is a rarity. A film with synergy where all the disparate components collide together to create a subtle and silent quality.
And this is mostly down to the surprisingly steady hand of Affleck in the director's chair.

Stylistically it may not be anything particularly special, but it is the inherent sense of normality - realistic suburban life - which makes the narrative all the more absorbing and effective.

As with any good drama, the cast is paramount.
An often underrated Casey Affleck (brother of Ben) puts the weight of the film on his quite small shoulders and effortlessly barges his way through 114 minutes of see-sawing emotional turmoil.

Quick to support is a sturdy Michelle Monaghan, an on form Ed Harris, and the trusty Morgan Freeman who never steals thunder.

But one of the most authentic performances comes from Amy Ryan as low class Dorchester mother Helene McCready - earning her an Oscar nomination for her trouble.

Gone Baby Gone is not a disposable whodunit with a clear-cut sense of right and wrong.
Its ambiguous characters and dirty setting conjure a modern noir environment with enough twists and turns to provoke more questions than answers by the time the credits roll.

8/10 - A gripping mystery that is well worth a watch.