I happen to believe that the collision of Casey and Ben Affleck on screen is a force to be reckoned with. I first noticed this when I watched an episode of "The Second Voyage of the Mimi" in the 6th grade, and Ben made a call home to his parents and Casey answered, and his face just lit up. Oh The Voyage of the Mimi, such great days. But there are other examples too: "Chasing Amy," "200 Cigarettes," and of course..."Good Will Hunting." Remarkable films, each in their own right.
Basic plot outline: A little girl goes missing from her small Boston suburb and her aunt hires a private investigating team--Casey Affleck and his on-screen girlfriend, Michelle Monaghan--to augment the case and help find the child. This process, although straight forward, ends up being wrought with moral and personal dilemmas that show perfectly on the gorgeous face and through the emotional eyes of Casey Affleck.
I love this movie. I think the script is brilliant, the acting is on its own level, and the plot outline has something for everyone. There's adequate amounts of sharp wit to pepper the story line that is otherwise very dramatic. I love that. I prefer to be engrossed in something to the point of not knowing whether or not its appropriate to laugh due to the subject matter. There are also moments when you want to cover your eyes, or you want to just cry or maybe even scream at the television. It's a beautifully unfolding drama.
I essentially show people this movie because when the credits are rolling, I like to have a debate about the ending choices of the main characters. Were they right? Did they do what was best? Are they morally culpable for their actions? Without giving anything away, I suggest you see the movie with someone and then ask these pivotal questions.
It's really a remarkable movie. It didn't do anything at the Oscars, which is upsetting, but it's an homage to Boston, a trademark of the Affleck's in general. And I love Boston, of course, because I was born there... and their accents are amusing.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1) The ending
2) Casey Affleck
3) Ben Affleck in his directorial debut
4) The script--flawless.
5) The casting of local Bostonians to fill in the cinematic "neighborhood".
LOWLIGHTS:
1) Michelle Monaghan--I hate her. She's annoying. She has some sort of weird speech thing that drives me a little nuts. Also her character brings very little to the table besides a lot of emotions and very little resolution.
2) The release date was delayed because Madelyn McCann, the little blonde British girl, was abducted in Portugal near the time of the film's original release date.
See this movie. See it right now. Nextflix it. Move it to the top of your Queue.
I say this now as I sit, watching "The Beach," a movie that has absolutely no merit other than the very obvious--Leonardo DiCaprio. At the height of my Leo obsession, back in middle school, I sat on my computer at home for hours watching trailers for this movie. Why hours? Because back in the old days of the internet, downloading a 3 minute Quicktime trailer was a huge process. Then when the flick came out, my dad was kind enough to take me and a friend to it on its opening night. A lot of hype for kind of a shit movie. I mean, great scenery. I love Thailand, and I'm sorry that most of where the movie was shot was wiped away in the Tsunami, but really, other than that and Leo, there's nothing to it. There is, however, just one shining moment, which is when Leo explains how the "haze of infatuation" can make you find even the most ridiculous habits of your lover, seem, well, lovely. That's just an excellent description.
"Desire is desire wherever you go. The sun will not bleach it, nor the tide wash it away."
Side Note: In the 8th grade, shortly after this movie was released, the Detroit Free Press had a contest to find the "Biggest Leonardo DiCaprio Fan," ie: me. The prize for the biggest fan was a replica of Leo's shirt that he wears in the movie. I wrote them about 18 emails, entering myself in the contest, explaining to them that no one on the face of the earth has ever felt as passionately about someone as I felt about Leo, and sure enough, 2 weeks later, I got the tshirt in the mail. I still have it. It's back at 239 Ridge, but I know exactly what shelf of my closet it is on. I'll never let go (get it??). I think it's ugly, it's oversized and since my hormones have stopped raging, I don't obsess over Leo anymore (as much), but it's a token of my youth that will have to go 6 feet under with me when the time comes.
I still have yet to see his new movie, which is not good because I do like to be part of opening weekend box office numbers, but I've been hung over, drunk or crying over football all weekend, so it's a struggle.
Closing Statements: If I drunk dialed you or drunk texted you Thursday or Friday night, thanks for chatting back. And if I made out with you this weekend--a small group of nameless men--thanks for the fun ;) If I danced with you, told you I was going to the bathroom, and then never returned, well you weren't for me. If I told you my name was "Carlie," well... you weren't for me.
haha, I just crack myself up.
