Well I am going to keep this extremely mini.The Good:
Ben Affleck does a commendable job with his direction and screenplay. Although the characters do not seem fully rounded or completely believable he does show understanding of what he is doing. Something that I am sure will improve with each directing outing.
Ed Harris was kind of good in a 'hey look at me acting like a tough cop' kind of way. Ed = tough = a little sexy.
Amy Madigan should have been in it more…she was one of the few characters people in this.
Morgan Freeman can break your heart with his nobility. Isn't he always noble though? How I wish for him to go and do another "Nurse Betty" role.
The film was a very glossy one to look at. Even the shit holes and crack dens looked cinematic.
The Not-so-Good:
Why all the flashbacks and narrative and voiceovers?…I am not that stupid. It felt like a "Young and the Restless" episode at times.
Why were Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan together? I got no chemistry or reason for them being an item, yet alone business partners.
A film about kid napping/child molestation should strike fear and tension in the viewer. Not once was I upset. This is mainly because of the muted tone the director chose, not only did it mute the look of the film, but the feel of it as well. A film of this nature should make you feel strongly or at least upset you. This really did neither, even though the bath tub scene tries to shock you, you have already prepared yourself for it.
Please…..someone please tell me why Amy Ryan is having all this praise and awards attention dumped all over her. Her performance is nothing more than capable. She plays a monster of a mother, but none of her actions ring remotely true. Are we supposed to believe she is concerned about her daughter’s whereabouts? There is no fluidity of character in this performance. It is being a bitch with an Bostonian accent one minute, being scared with a Bostonian accent another, and crying with a Bostonian accent the next. There is nothing remotely human here. Disney villians have more depth.
Lastly...the films big moral dilema at the end. For me at least it is a no brainer, but I still found it odd that we are supposed to buy a characters moral code when we have seen what he will turn a blind eye to to get the information he wants.
All in all this is a good start, but not great.C-
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