AFFLECK'S COMEBACK?

Ben Affleck is back--big time--this fall. His directorial debut, GONE BABY GONE, is getting great buzz from the various film festivals. A detective/crime-thriller based on the book of the same name from Mystic River author Denis Lehane, the film stars Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Michelle Monaghan. The early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and it seems as if Affleck is a natural born director. I am looking forward it seeing it. Have always been a fan of Affleck. He's not the world's greatest actor, but when he wants to be, he's charming and effective (see the terrific and underrated Changing Lanes, Bounce, Boiler Room and The Sum of All Fears). But it sounds like he's a director to watch from now on.