theredraylives

Skip this disaster and just read Dennis Lehane's novel, because a substantial portion of this film is just Affleck reading it to you via voice-over narration while random shots spill by in the background; the film at times even bypasses interesting plot threads and resolutions with a speedy narrative wrap-up. It fails on the most basic of levels, that being that of an actual film that tells its story by showing, not telling. Anything that could remotely be praised about this heap of trash is wiped away by the fact that Affleck reads. At the audience. For the entire film. Avoid, avoid, avoid, avoid.