I have been waiting for this movie for over a year. It was stuck in post-production for some time and was finally released a few days ago.
The truth is, I had high expectations for the story, especially from a writer/director of Helgeland's level.
I don't know what he originally had in mind, but he has put two films in one here. On the one hand, it's a family drama; on the other, it's a drug deal gone wrong that doesn't make a good transition and, on top of that, an almost unnecessary love story.
It has a somewhat OK third act, which has enough tension but raises many questions.
On the good side now. The cinematography is excellent, and the transitions between city and sea scenes work nicely. The cast is well chosen, and for the most part, the actors know where they need to be. And, of course, the two strongest cards of the film are Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Foster in the role of father and son.
Although it's a nearly three-decade-old project, it could have been executed way better, especially when the person working on it has such an impressive track record under his belt.
I give it a 6/10, mainly due to acting.
