Here
is another Sean Penn directed movie starring his wife (Robin
Wright) and Nicholson, which we've seen before in The
Crossing Guard (a movie I didn't like at all). This time,
Jack is a newly retired detective who doesn't believe his last big
case was solved when the prime suspect was killed in a jailhouse shootout.
So even though he's retired, he continues his search for a child molester
and killer by moving into a small town near where a number of children
have been murdered. He hooks up with Wright and her young daughter,
who perfectly fits the description of the murdered girls. So we know
that sooner or later, Jack will have to stop her abduction and murder.
And the town is filled with suspects, with a religous wacko topping
the list. And of course his cop buddies all think the case is closed
and that Jack should give it up. The suspense builds, we expect the
usual payoff, but then we don't get it. And even though the usual
ending for these kinds of movies would have been more of the same,
the ending here just didn't work for me. So it's not your typical
cop / bad guy thriller, but watching Nicholson perform still makes
this a movie you might consider.
—
marty
