A powerful crime thriller

Rating: Null/10 (14 August 2009)

Ben Affleck's film directorial debut is nothing short of amazing. I have never been so fond of him as an actor, but I do think he has a future in writing and directing films. He along with Aaron Stockard have created a great script and have made a film that is powerful, riveting, and very entertaining.
The performances here are great. Morgan Freeman does his usual self of creating a very emphasized character, and the whole other supporting cast was great, including Ed Harris. I thought that they could have picked a better actress for the character of Angie Gennaro, but Michelle Monaghan eventually grew on me. But the film is also this great because of two performances. One of them comes from the award-nominated performance of Amy Ryan. She creates a character that is very true to the life of many people in neighborhoods like this. She gave an outstanding performance, and creates ultimate likability in her character because you feel for her, even though she is also quite unlikeable in her actions. She deserved that Oscar nomination, and one of the best supporting performances of the year. However, as strong as Ryan was, the real star here is Casey Affleck. I am a huge fan of his performance in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and I thought he gave one of the best male performances of the decade, whether it was supporting or leading. I thought he deserved that Oscar for Supporting Actor(even though I ultimately think he is leading, although it is not a huge issue). But with this he proves he is an actor capable of anything. Whereas his character of Bob in the film Jesse James was very quiet, sort of weak and manipulated, here he proves his character is a strong, mannered leading man in whatever he does. I very much enjoy watching him perform, and he deserved to get an Oscar nomination for Leading Actor, because while his role was not as showy as Ryan's, it was just as strong or even better and he holds the film together. Much better than the nominated actors of the year George Clooney and Johnny Depp.
The film was brilliantly shot, and while I did think it had problems with the editing, it was not a big glitch. I thought the twist at the end was very surprising, and I thought the ending scene was so powerful and heart-breaking. The film was very entertaining, and it also raises a lot of questions about neighborhoods like this and what is better for a child that lives in these ways. I thought this was a better crime film than Fincher's, Se7en and Zodiac, and I hope it does not become forgotten over time.