A solid effort by Ben Affleck

Rating: 8/10 (8 March 2008)

Such a mixed reaction to this movie. At times I found myself wanting to love it but I ended up liking it instead. I guess my main complaint was when I watch movies that I want to smack of realism, any unrealistic moment will drop a star or two off it. On the plus side, and to refute the claim of nepotism, Casey Affleck did a great job. For those who say he was too boyish or slight, wake up people. This is what regular people look like. Did you want Clooney in this role, or Wahlberg in another Boston flick? I thought Ed Harris as well did a terrific job as he has does for the majority of his career. The only problem I have with this film is the insularity of the police work. You have a front page abduction and only 3 police officers aware of it? When something of this magnitude happens, there is no way it gets covered up to this degree. Corruption is one thing, but this scenario would be tough to pull off. Morgan Freeman's character, a retired African American all of sudden shows up with a 7yr old white girl? I don't care how forgiving or upscale a neighborhood is..questions will be asked. Suspend my disbelief? I know. The movie wins though because of how they handle the ending. Instead of having Morgan Freeman pull out a gun and threaten to start shooting to save his piece of utopia, he reasons with him. Almost resigned to the fact he is at the end of his rope, he puts the viewer in the position to choose,as well as Affleck which is always a good place to be. You really think the girlfriend has him turned, that is, until you see the state police lights in the background. So, a happy ending it is not, more bittersweet. Sounds like life to me.