The abduction of a child is a difficult subject for films to deal with well. Audience emotions can be too easily manipulated for dramatic effect, so the end result is typically a work that is inevitably moving but uninteresting. But Ben Affleck, here making an accomplished directorial debut, isn’t interested in stirring such obvious feelings as rage or relief. Instead, he has created a gripping film that uses the disappearance of a child to explore the disappearance of the basic decencies within adult society.

The UK release of the film was delayed because of the similarity between the name of the abducted child in the script – four-year-old Amanda McCready – and that of Madeleine McCann. These, however, are two very different stories, raising very different issues.

Gone Baby Gone is set in a poor working-class neighbourhood of Boston. The film opens with news footage of the anguished parents and much talk about how the community is “pulling together”. After three days of police investigations, local private investigators Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Genarro (Michelle Monaghan) are hired by the child’s aunt and uncle because they can talk to people the cops can’t reach. They quickly discover the sordid side and dark secrets of this so-called caring and united community.

The plot, unfortunately, is rather contrived and implausible, and the film indulges in clichéd Catholic concerns about sin and guilt. More interesting is its central question: how do we define what is in the best interests of a child, a bad biological mum or a good caring stranger?

Best of all are the performances. Affleck, Ben’s brother, is excellent as the tough and determined Patrick, though Ido think it’s time to bar Morgan Freeman from playing “decent” cops.

15, 114 mins

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