Good atmosphere ruined by preposterous plot.

Rating: 6/10 (19 January 2008)

This film reminded me of Mystic River: great location, good acting, utterly preposterous plot that relies on a crime committed against a child for fake emotional weight.
The twist in the story, that a gang of police officers would participate in a murder and kidnapping plot to 'rescue' a child from a broken home, has probably never happened in the history of modern North America. Given that, how can you buy it as the central device of the movie?
A really good movie wouldn't have to rely on cheap 'save-the-children' sentimentality to give the film moral weight, and its too bad when you realize that a great Dorchester location and a very compelling Casey Affleck are wasted when the absurdity of the story reveals itself about halfway though.