A Perfect World. I didn’t realize it had been a year since my last Eastwood movie. Not many directors exploring violence so thoroughly and thoughtfully. The thematic priorities are pretty clear when you consider what is depicted and what takes place off-screen. Ties into the father-son/parent stuff. The kid’s personality is not the most interesting but neither are real kids, so fine. It actually helps the bond with Costner, as you really don’t know where these two are headed. A bigger weakness is that Eastwood and the other cops feel a bit superfluous. It’s not much of a manhunt/chase movie. There’s some story details that come out via the police, and they bring a variation in tone, but the heart is with Costner and the kid.
I’ve got so many Eastwood movie rankings that specific placement is getting silly, but not like it’s gonna stop me…
Mark Larson 