Nice and well played thriller with a lot of surprises, twists and turns

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2020)

Good thriller, though some downbeat, adapted from a novel written by Dennis Lehane. Here Ben Affleck gives a top-notch directorial debut. When little Amanda goes missing, despair emerges and hopes are dim. She is from a noisy neighbourhood where residents are not disposed to talk to the cops who are investigating the case : Ed Harris, John Ashton under superior orders to Police chief : Morgan Freeman. While her druggie mummy : Amy Ryan, has incurred the wrath of a drug kingpin. Those are reasons enough for Amanda's devoted uncle :Titus Welliver and aunt : Amy Madigan to contract a young team of private detectives , the soft-spoken, wry Patrick Kenzie : Casey Affleck, and enjoyable Angie Gennaro : Michelle Monaghan. But then things go awry when the investigation deepens with turns as well as twists, where doing the right thing begins to look all wrong and viceversa.
A decent thriller steeped in the unkillable grudges , continuous betrayals , compelling ambiguities, dark secrets and tribal loyalties of South Boston. All of them finish into an astonising ending, in a conclusion puzzle-solving development that turns to be convoluted and surprising, at the same time. Main cast and support cast are very well. Casey affleck, director's brother, is terrific. He is the film's backbone playing the obstinate eye private, being helped by his colleague and girlfriend, Michelle Monaghan in an inert role, both of them carry out the deep investigation that ends up into fateful consequences. Ed Harris is fantastic as the cynical, squinty police inspector who investigates the case along with the forgotten secondary of the 80s John Ashton. Of course, the great Morgan Freeman as the heartbroken police chief who knows sorrow all too well. But is Amy Ryan who steals the show as the junkie mother, she creates a role who is at once pathetic and fearsome.
It displays an evocative and dark, at times, cinematography by the fine professional cameraman John Toll. As well as thrilling and stirring musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams. The motion picture was competently directed by the famous actor and director Ben Affleck, though it has some flaws and it results to be a little depressing and disagreeable. Ben Affleck is a good actor who has starred a lot of big boxoffice movies as Suicide squad, Smokin' aces, Paycheck, Daredevil, The company men, Armageddon , Pearl Harbor, Good Will Hunting. He has also directed a few and well-deemed films, such as Live by night, The Town, Gone baby gone and his greatest hit : Argo that had seversl Academy Awards. Rating 7/10. Better than average. Worthwhile watching.