Coincidences and Motives

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2008)

I came away from this movie with a real appreciation for the impeccable acting, the somber mood and pacing, and the layers of guilt and regret that were slowly exposed in the film. Even though I thought, "Wow...that was a really good movie", something kept bothering me over the next few days as I thought about the film. I finally put my finger on it when I considered some issues concerning coincidences and motives.
Other reviewers have noted the coincidental nature of the events that took place on the night of the murder: Dave Boyle just happens to be in the bar where Katie Markum shows up; after he leaves the bar, he just happens to beat a man, injuring his hand and is covered with blood; Brendan's brother just happens to come across Jimmy's daughter in the street as she's driving her car; he happens to be carrying the same gun that night his father used to rob a liquor store several years earlier; he just happens to fire the gun at her and...well, you get my point. All this happens all ON THE SAME NIGHT.
A more central problem I had with the plot was this: why was Dave Boyle even suspected in this murder? In the eyes of the police and his wife, what could possibly be his motive for killing a relative of his wife? Yes, he had an injured hand and later blood was food in his car, but why didn't anyone bother to probe a possible motive? Everyone assumed that just because he saw her at a bar that somehow made him culpable in her murder. It would have made more sense (plot-wise) if, earlier in the film, there had been some sort of connection established between Dave Boyle and Katie Markum. Otherwise, everything that pointed to Dave as a murderer was all circumstantial evidence (which, as it turns out, it was just that).
Of course, the storyline is really driven by this point: the past events can influence the future in ways we cannot even imagine and guilt and a desire for justice can lead to strange and unexpected paths. It's just too bad that this important theme was not supported with a tighter and more cohesive plot.