Synopsis:

When 4 year old Amanda McCready disappears from her home and the police make little headway in solving the case, the girl's aunt Beatrice McCready hires two private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The detective freely admit that they have little experience with this type of case, but the family wants them for two reasons - they're not cops and they know the tough neighborhood in which they all live. As the case progresses, Kenzie and Gennaro face drug dealers, gangs and pedophiles. When they finally solve the case, they are faced with a moral dilemma that tears them apart.

Brian's Rating: A- : I have to admit, I was skeptical going into this movie.  Ben Affleck debuts as a director in this film, and one always gets a mixed bag with a new director as they try and find their style.  Overall, Affleck did an excellent job and fell into a clear directing style that was fluid and captivating.  There were a few rough spots where the film got a little disjointed, but fortunately these are spread out such that you can still follow the film even after having a confusing set of shots and transitions.

The story follows a PI team (Casey Afflek & Michelle Monaghan) as they get brought into a case to find a missing 4 year old girl.  They work directly with the police detectives and contribute to the investigation despite their apparent lack of experience.  There angle is that they maintain a unique relationship into the street life of the city, and they offer valuable connections that a badge could not have.

The plot flows very well, and like all police movies it is revealed to the viewer a little bit at a time.  Clues are placed well in the movie, and are not so terribly contrived that it makes you roll your eyes.  Additionally, when you slowly find out the truth, it actually makes sense.  So many investigative movies leave out reasonable motivation to force the plot along.  It flows naturally in this movie.

At the end of the movie, the main character, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) is forced to make an incredibly hard choice.  What is "right" is clearly blurred, and the presentation of this moral struggle is well laid out.  The final scene is powerful, and I watched the credits seriously debating what I would have done.

I would recommend this movie, and encourage you all to check it out.  I would have given this an "A" rating in a second if it were not for a few of those choppy scene transitions.

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