Mea Culpa to the Afflecks

Rating: Null/10 (14 August 2008)

When this movie came out last fall, I had zero interest in seeing it. Call it my token gesture of backlash for a decade of Ben Affleck hype, otherwise known as the Access Hollywoodization of America. I have spent the new millennium avoiding all things Affleck by conscious choice. So let me unequivocally state that, having just caught this film on cable, I was wrong in a big way. It deserved my business, and I hope there's more to come.
First, Casey's performance as the PI is spot on the mark and pretty darn good. Truthfully, Casey never registered on my radar--my awareness being limited to his being the "Peter Lawford"/friend of Matt included in the fluffy (but fun) Oceans triumvirate-- so I wasn't expecting much. Plus my idea of PIs was largely shaped by childhood reading (Encyclopedia Brown) and watching Jim Rockford and a host of gas guzzling/Lincoln driving investigators on Quinn Martin shows in the 70's (which viewing paid off when "epilogue" later appeared on my SATs). Casey (who strikes me as a cross between an older Frankie Muniz and a younger version of 70's game-show host Art James) certainly is no rugged Jim Garner-type (but Michelle Monaghan is a more attractive sidekick than Angel, and he does get roughed up, Rockford-like, by an armed robber already shot twice through the chest), and he looks too young to be driving a Buick. But he still DOES pull it off in convincing fashion. Whether it be his local familiarity and unforced accent, still evolving experience and maturity, or the touch of world weariness/vulnerability in his uniquely soft spoken voice-- there's a certain "realness" and genuine likability to his Patirck which exudes from the opening scenes (where Patrick's sweetly hustling for business notwithstanding his earlier cynicism and his girlfriends/partners reluctance), to how he interacts with the entire spectrum of local folk-- both good and seedy, to his inner soul searching to live up to his own moral standards in making the choices he does throughout. He's certainly not the toughest guy in the neighborhood, but he's decent enough when the situation calls for it-- and most importantly, he's of the neighborhood. It is this more balanced picture of the local environs which distinguishes this film from the similarly-themed Mystic River ---which was just so dreary and filled with unredeemed characters for whom I didn't care that I found it virtually unwatchable.
Perhaps this is best illustrated by the amazing performance of Amy Ryan as the irresponsible and trashy Springeresque mother for whom we should have nothing but disdain, but whose grief is nonetheless real even if her humanity is not apparent on the surface. The heartstrings of the audience shouldn't be tugged on her behalf, but she displays just enough of a maternal instinct that we do, however reluctantly we may want to acknowledge it.
The rest of the cast is also first rate. Where have meaty roles been for Amy Madigan and John Ashton the last 20 years? I can't believe its been nearly that long since Field of Dreams and Midnight Run/I Know My First Name is Steven (which ironically had a similar plot line)-- and those are the movies I remember them from. Ed Harris is always super (but didn't need the hairpiece in this one), and I'll never have anything bad to say about Morgan Freeman-- who taught me how to read as a youth. And Titus Welliver, also new to me, is equally good as his world collapses-- and has the most impressive mustache since Rollie Fingers.
As for Ben's directing--- for a first time effort, its pretty darn good. Sure, there are some unnecessary attempts for a Scorsese-like shot or editing (especially the few action scenes), but nothing too obtrusive or which detracts from the story which moves fast and is engrossing without being too ridiculous. I especially like the Hitchcockian symbolism, as in nearly every Patrick scene his moral compass is prominently in the frame (though they likely had to buy out every v-neck t-shirt at Filenes to do so). And though I'm not from Boston (but am plenty familiar with the Irish Catholic neighborhoods of my native NE Philly), you can tell he wanted Boston to be one of the characters of the film and to get it right and he does for the most part--there's plenty of dark underbelly, but unlike Eastwood's film, its not relentlessly dark. What's good isn't all good, and what's bad isn't all bad-- there's plenty of shades of gray.
A few minor quibbles--- Michelle Monaghan-- another newcomer to me (though anybody from County Monaghan or Mayo is OK by me) is underused and hardly Patrick's equal "partner", and their relationship is more implicit than developed throughout the movie. Sorry-- but having Patrick remind her "you know I love you" at various points in the film doesn't convey the depth of the relationship it needs to. This underdevelopment hurts the climax, which doesn't pack the punch it should have because Patrick's ultimate choice seems to come out of left field and isn't harder. And, perhaps its just me, but the final scene SHOULD have been more memorable; the last wrinkle in the script is superb to illustrate the ambiguities raised by the story. It could have potentially been a "wow" moment -- but it stuck me as strangely flat and just too subtle. Maybe the camera just lingered on silently for a little too long, but to me it just didn't capture whether Patrick will be haunted as to whether he made the right choice.
All in all-- highly recommended. I was wrong to have avoided all things Affleck in the new millennium. In fact, thanks to the wonders of digital cable, I have managed to watch two more Casey films (the Last Kiss and Lonesome Jim) and he's just as good in these as well. Next up, the Jessie James film. And I might even watch Ben in Hollywoodland too.