Directed by:
Ben AffleckCinematography:
John TollComposer:
Harry Gregson-WilliamsCast:
Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan, Titus Welliver, Michael Kenneth Williams, Edi Gathegi (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl's aunt, Beatrice McCready hires two private detectives, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The detectives freely admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons - they're not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live. As the case progresses, Kenzie and Gennaro face drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles. When they are about to solve the case, they are faced with a moral dilemma that tears them apart. (Miramax Films)
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Reviews (12)
Affleck’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel is unarguably well-made, perfectly acted, absorbing with its atmosphere of an Irish suburb of Boston and especially in the night scenes it’s completely riveting. Casey Affleck in the role of the “neighborly" private detective is worthy of the supreme acting accolade, just like many of the supporting actors. Seemingly the perfect crime movie. However, there is one small but. After the scene with the attack on the house and one subsequent conversation, it is absolutely clear “who, how and why". However, a long-winded half hour of wannabe surprising revelations follow. Not that it matters that much, since the picture culminates in these scenes in terms of acting, but as a whole it needlessly loses energy. At least the complete end with the repercussions of a certain decision is again back to the standard of most of the movie. In other words, at the qualitative zenith of the genre. After his feature-length directing debut, I’ll have to keep an eye out for Ben Affleck. With his economical and firm-handed directing that doesn’t draw attention to itself, he is very similar to Clint Eastwood. Let’s hope it stays with him and that he will no longer prance around in front of the camera. Both for his and mainly for our own good.
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This story looks like a classic. One crime that not only changes the lives of all involved, but completely turns them upside down. And all with the help of a constantly twisting script, which is so cleverly narrated that you won't start twisting at any turn, wondering what we just saw. And when something like that almost happens, like during the key action at the quarry, the voiceover of the main character immediately assures you that you are definitely not alone in it. What surprises me the most is how quickly the story won me over, so that despite the anonymity and ordinariness of the character Patrick, I was scared for him after a few minutes and experienced all the crucial decisions with him. Ben Affleck's directorial certainty is therefore an unimaginable promise for the genre.
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Bad Baby Bad. Disappointing in every way! The story is confusing and disjointed. Ben Affleck directs as much as he acts: like a teenager with attention deficit disorder. The characters were uninteresting, unmotivated and poorly cast. The dialogue lacked drive, it was clichéd and incomprehensible. Overall, I found this film very boring to the point of absurdity. It lacked suspense and atmosphere. There was almost nothing positive here! Affleck has picked up the wrong profession. I didn't enjoy it. 40%.
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I can forgive a lot of things, but the fact that the film gets virtually nowhere despite three tons of moralizing and wannabe "think about that" bullshit, hardly. I'm not of the opinion that a film needs to have a statement, but if it's fucking pretending to be one all the time, it could at least live up to expectations. An asterisk for the scene in the pedophile's lair.
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A powerful drama, very well written, but above all brilliantly directed. I’m inclined to agree with the opinion about the intellectual overtones mentioned several times here, the dilemma that is transferred from the main character to the viewer at the end is impressive and the last shot, my God, is perfection itself. And most importantly, the whole narrative has oomph and it doesn't matter if it's the chillingly harsh scene with a paedophile in the second half of the film or a simple dialogue between the two protagonists. A true joy to watch. And Casey Affleck? He articulates weird, he looks weird, he acts weird, but all of that together create a very interesting person that I couldn't take my eyes off. Ben, in the future, act as you did in Hollywoodland, while continuing to develop your undoubted directorial talent, and I have no choice but to repeat myself: "It was a great pleasure."
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