Deeply touching and acted out with subtlety, this film
staring Casey Affleck comes in unexpectedly, slowly,
deliberately, and builds to one of the better movies
I’ve seen in a long time.

I first saw Casey in the Jesse James film with Brad Pitt,
and was impressed with his intelligence and again…subtlety.
The understated portrayal of the man who shot Jesse was
impressive, brilliantly conveying a certain smallness using
tone of voice and physical hints of childish pettiness,
filling in the character with a very human understanding.

This film dealt with the touchy subject of child abduction,
yet it took us to a place where something my mother would
have called Situation Ethics took over the mind, and we
end up with that terrible quandary of right and wrong,
black and white, and those eternal grays.
Astoundingly powerful stuff.

With screenplay by Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockhard,
and from a novel by Dennis Lehan, (who also wrote Mystic River,
a devastating film with Sean Penn)  it is  Directed by Ben as well,
and once again brilliantly, perfectly.

Impressive stuff, this, and aside from the deep and thoughtful
subject matter and the way it untangles , the Pace of the film
is a slow and steady walk, not run, no rushing here, yet no drag.
Perfect pacing.

Ed Harris plays a complex character, showing facets that surprise
and build. Morgan Freeman is a secondary figure, yet in a role
around which much of the story unexpectedly revolves.

Excellent casting everywhere, with  Michelle Monaghan
playing the essential soft and feminine foil, as Casey’s partner in
work and in life.
She provides a certain mature reflection, a more intuitive and
right brain wisdom to his left brain, black and white idealism.

Don’t miss this film.
Impressive, with a certain stick to the ribs quality
not long forgotten.
You will end up with deep appreciation for the writer, yes, but
most especially those intelligent and talented Brothers Affleck.

——————————–