There have been a lot of films about the harsh reality of achieving the American dream and finding out it's not what you expected it would be. But there has rarely been a film like this, one that explores what happens when you achieve the American dream and have it ripped away from you. On paper, the film has some very interesting concepts. It aims to explore the impact on a man and his family when he has his job taken away, a man who has built his entire world around his job and his professional position in the world. It opens itself to some very intriguing ideas, but unfortunately the execution is pretty pedestrian. It follows three men, played with no diversity from their usual selves by Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper. The plots for Cooper and especially Jones had me pretty bored, there's typical depression and a really laughable extramarital affair and neither actor does much to elevate beyond what they normally do.
However where the film works, and what ultimately won me over in it, was with Ben Affleck's storyline. Here is where the film hits it's stride; it becomes a fascinating study of a man who has built this entire world, has it crumble around him and then needs to put the pieces back together. A man who has put his entire life into his job and then realizes that he needs to make it about who he actually is, as a person. Affleck is the perfect actor for this role, displaying that humanity and genuine personality he always has. He's a very talented actor and now that he's choosing the right roles it's always a pleasure to watch him perform. This is where the film succeeds, in his character and his performance, and it's what makes me forgive the droll mess that the rest of the picture entails.
However where the film works, and what ultimately won me over in it, was with Ben Affleck's storyline. Here is where the film hits it's stride; it becomes a fascinating study of a man who has built this entire world, has it crumble around him and then needs to put the pieces back together. A man who has put his entire life into his job and then realizes that he needs to make it about who he actually is, as a person. Affleck is the perfect actor for this role, displaying that humanity and genuine personality he always has. He's a very talented actor and now that he's choosing the right roles it's always a pleasure to watch him perform. This is where the film succeeds, in his character and his performance, and it's what makes me forgive the droll mess that the rest of the picture entails.