Raises significant questions

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2008)

This movie plays as a police procedural and thriller, but what propels it are the underlying moral questions it asks. Is it all right to kill (well, actually murder) a depraved pedophile who himself has just killed a seven year old boy? Is diverting captured drug money to a good cause acceptable? Is it better to return an abducted four year old child to her drug-addicted excuse for a mother, or clandestinely spirit her away to a better home? These are some of the questions faced by private investigator Patrick Kenzie and his partner, and lover, Angie Gennaro as they investigate the disappearance of a small girl from a lower-class Boston neighborhood.
Director Affleck clearly has a feel for the rhythms, and sometimes even the beauty, of this Boston neighborhood which provides an authentic backdrop for the story. But the proceedings are convoluted and ultimately not believable. Did all of the (well-meaning) conspirators really think that they could get away with their plans?
Ed Harris turns in a dramatic performance as a cop working with Kenzie; Michelle Monaghan is fine as Kenzie's partner, although she is not given much to do; Morgan Freeman has limited screen time and, at this point in his career, he can toss off a performance like this as easily as Tiger Woods makes birdies. Then we come to Casey Affleck. I think he has a chance of being one of our better actors, but I felt he was miscast here. He has a unique screen presence that suggests powerful emotions beneath his controlled exterior. Some have complained of his mumbling, but that speech pattern seemed appropriate to me. What I had a hard time with was his youthful, preppy appearance that stood in stark contrast to his tough guy character who was on congenial terms with a number of bad-asses. The film tried to exploit this disconnect, but it didn't work for me, since Casey Afleck projects no menace. I think this role calls for someone like a De Niro or Nicholson.