Signs of a first-time director, but still pretty good. Great cast!

Rating: 9/10 (19 October 2007)

Actors making their first movie as a director often show signs of the novice. So I find myself critiquing such efforts differently, even if that is unfair or not totally logical. The cast here was superb, the performances excellent. The story had depth, and you could tell that Ben Affleck and his writing partner really tried hard to do something real and meaningful. And... it is nice to be in the States this autumn and winter, to see new movies as they come out!
Nonetheless, as is often the case, there were some tell-tale newbie marks. I don't know exactly how to articulate it--- but maybe an overly stated drama? Or times when things veer toward the obvious, or the melodramatic? Well, not quite melodramatic, here. But without giving anything away, let me just remark that for me, some of the choices made by the lead character, and aspects of the denouement of story, seemed a little too harshly, or simplistically, drawn. I certainly thought what the lead guy, played admirably by Ben Affleck's younger brother Casey Affleck, decided to do at the end was stupid. I thought the character's decision to follow the letter of the law, and turn all the morally "goods guys" in to the police, was selfish, immature, and the mark of a guy who is WAY too full of himself. Rather than seeing that as a Greek tragedy, where the hero is doomed to follow his crappy destiny, or whatever, I saw it as an indulgent and destructive action of a narcissist. His wonderful girlfriend was absolutely right to dump his sorry bum, and walk out on him.
So--- was it entertaining? Yes. And pretty good, and worthy to go and see. This may, like with some other actors-turned-auteur, be Affleck's only directorial job. Or, he may keep on and do some more--- he can only get stronger.
Affleck's novice efforts reveal a certain timidity. He was too timid and weak to make a really strong statement about life, in my view. He kind of copped out, and kind of took the easy way, in the story's ending. But, hey, he DID give it a go, and he did a nice job.
If this were a seasoned director's movie, I'd give it a 7. But out of affection and admiration for the "new guy's" try, I give it a special-case 9 out of 10.