Children in Peril

Rating: 7/10 (15 December 2012)

One of the Worst Inarticulate, Expressionless, Mush-Mouth, Unconvincing Performance in a Major Production all but Ruin this Ambitious Attempt, but not quite. It is a Profound Moral Dilemma that is Approached in this Gritty, Complicated Neo-Noir.
It has enough Energy to keep things Moving, but there may be a few too Many Plot Turns at the End that might have been more Confusing than necessary. It is a Good Directorial Debut but if Affleck was Serious about his Craft, Nepotism would have been Abandon during the first Rushes.
It is a Heavy Load to bare when taking on such an Emotional, Controversial Social Situation and while Noble, the Screenplay is Unable to Take a Strong Stand either way. So We are left with an Unsatisfying End to an Unresolved Situation that is Neither Profound or Thought Provoking. It is just Frustrating and Hopeless. Much like Real Life.
But this is Fiction and one would Hope that there might be some Inspiring Insights or Suggestions to make these Tragic Situations just a little Optimistic. There are "Millions of Stories in the Naked City", and if You are going to Show Children in Peril, at least give a Glimmer of an attained Happiness, even if it is Only a Dream.