Jamie passion and passionfruit!

A very respectable debut by Ben Affleck, taking a Dennis Lehane book about the seedy side of Boston and a child kidnapping case.  Like Mystic River it is a grim and dark tale of human quirks and failings with a rich cast of characters.  Casey Affleck steps up to leading man as the private eye and does it very well, accompanied by Michelle Monaghan as his partner and girlfriend.  But it is the supporting parts that also delight.  Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman bring their talent to characters that are not exactly what we are led to believe at the beginning and Amy Ryan does a great job as the child’s drugged out mother.  Even Amy Madigan shines as the aunt.  But most of all, the best feature of this movie is how Affleck takes a moral dilemma and teases out the details so that it works as a thriller as well and seems authentic (despite one or two details in the plot).  A thoroughly recommendable film if you are in the mood for something a little dark and a great start to Affleck’s directing career.  Not a classic but totally respectable.

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