Right and Righter??????

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2008)

I was really optimistic about Ben Affleck creating a legacy in Movies as a writer/director. Dogma, which is one of my fave pics, was such a masterpiece at the time it was released. A rebel movie for the mid 90s teenager. And then a few years later he made Gigli, a movie i will reserve comment on as i might be banned from ever reviewing again. Im glad to say that he has redeemed himself with this absolute gem of a movie.
I wont go into the storyline as you can get that from the synopsis, but i will delve briefly into the the issues this movie tackles as well as the performance and general production value review. Casy Affleck is, I believe, a real find, a character that comes across as you average Joe, but still with a gleam of intensity. The movie is about a kidnapping but the story revolves around him. What was great was that although i wanted the girl to be found, i found myself more interested in how events would influence him. The filthiness of Boston's underworld was so elegantly conveyed by intermediate editing before focus was shifted to characters, so we are submersed (if you allow yourself to be) into the very environment that this kidnapped girl is being subjected to. The music and camera work was so perfectly in sync that at times i experienced a noir, Gothic feeling even though it was only Boston The decisions our protagonists has to endure were so emotional that you start questioning whether your personal morals and values, things you never questioned before were actually sincere to your fellow man or only to yourself. Its easy to chose between right and wrong, but what happens when you have to choose between a right decision and a "righter" one.* I hope Ben keeps it in this vain, and continues to churn out classics, that ask us to be better citizens of the world. Well Done *I still don't know which would have been the righter one. (better check it out so you know what I mean)