It's Not What I want Out Of A Story

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2007)

This is an extremely well made movie. It is an extremely well acted movie. Despite being well done and telling a captivating story, it just isn't what I want from a story or a movie in general. Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) are called in as private detectives by a family to investigate a missing child report. Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman)and Detective Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) represent the reluctant, yet cooperative police department that works hand in hand with the private detectives. The story evolves as a mystery leading the viewer along as everyone sifts through the lies and cover-ups. While this story is quite emotional and disturbing at times, the final message is a bit anti-climactic. It comes across more as a social statement directed towards an American subculture than it does being a plausible series of events. In the end, it just all seems pointless. It isn't a bad movie, it just isn't how I'd want to spend 2 hours of leisure time. Casey Affleck does a great job at keeping the story on track. Michelle Monaghan plays a convincing girlfriend/assistant. Ed Harris & Morgan Freeman never skip a beat on making you feel distressed about the little girl being lost. The ending just made me not care about how well it was acted and composed. Ben Affleck's role as director and screenplay writer seems to be invisible just as it should be. Anyone wishing to praise him or criticize his role, should spend their time reviewing his past work, not this piece.