Brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (14 August 2012)

Ben Affleck cast his brother Ben as a private eye and the family chemistry works very well. Patrick(Affleck) and his partner/girlfriend Amy are watching the news one night and see a mother pleading for the return of her daughter Amanda, who was abducted recently. The girls aunt hires them to find her. They discover that the mom, Helene, and her boyfriend, Ray had stolen money from a drug dealer. Ray is killed and things get complicated as the gumshoes team up with the police to set up an exchange of cash with the pusher at a quarry where they find the kids doll and assume that she has drowned. Things get complicated when a child molester is found and the police uncover the previous kidnapping of Amanda is not what it seemed. Morgan Freeman turns up as a retired police captain who is a good man trying to make a difference. Tough choices must be made, and they lead to one of the best endings I've ever seen. Dennis Lehane's novels translate well to the big screen; Mystic River is another excellent movie. I highly recommend both.