Pain
flows from childhood to adulthood...
Three young
boys, Jimmy, Sean and Dave, are playing hockey
in the street when two well-dressed men roll up
in a nice car. Posing as cops, they reprimand
the boys for carving their names into wet cement
and force Dave to come along with them back to
his parents' house. As quickly as that, a life
is destroyed, destiny is changed & unforeseen
events are set into motion. The two men are
pedophiles and Dave is missing for four days
until he manages to escape his abductors.
Thirty years later and the boys are now men, all
living in the same Boston suburb that they grew
up in. Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a cop, separated
from his wife, but reasonably well adjusted.
Jimmy (Sean Penn) owns a convenience store and
is married with three kids. He is a little
thuggish, but he loves his family and works hard
to take care of them. Dave (Tim Robbins) is a
timid, insecure and quirky man. He is married to
Celeste (Harden) and has a young son.
The ensuing tragedy, which acts as pivot around
which the plot revolves, is one of profound
proportions and I will not recount it for those
who have yet to see the film, so as to avoid
lessening the impact.
'Mystic River' is a story of consequences. It is
a story of grief and guilt, anger and
resentment. It is one of the most emotionally
gut-wrenching films you are ever likely to see.
However, the film is ultimately easy to watch,
partly because Eastwood's direction is
rhythmical and effortless. We always have a
great sense of time and place. The film works
tremendously well as a standard police
procedural with the intriguing clues and bits of
information being provided to us at the same
time as the characters become aware of them.
Above all, the thing I will remember from this
film is an astonishing ensemble cast that is
pitch-perfect from start to finish. Particular
praise must be given to Sean Penn and Tim
Robbins, who will both be considered around
Oscar time.
If there is one quibble with the film, it is in
the message, which is laid on a little thick and
seems a little obvious. I don't think the film
covers ground that isn't already common
knowledge. It is primarily in the execution of
story, direction and acting that this film
becomes great.
'Mystic River' is one of the best films of 2003
and will probably be one of those films that
improves upon repeat viewings.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
Okay, so I
admit it. Eastwood fans & crime flick fans are
likely to enjoy this film. As an abuse survivor
myself, I simply cannot look past the
stereotypical and callous treatment of
Dave...Even if the desire was to play out the
action and allow it to unfold in such a manner,
I feel like Eastwood's style, timing and
approach to the scenes involving Dave bordered
on abusive themselves. Abuse survivors should be
warned that this film has a strong likelihood of
triggering flashbacks & strong emotional
memories. This is both due to the film's
attitude towards Dave and to the incredibly
powerful performance by Robbins in the role.
Abuse survivors should not see this film alone.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
Penn is simply amazing and jaw-dropping in the
role and he deserves the praise he has received.
Robbins is equally amazing in a role that could
have easily been mishandled. The always
underlooked Kevin Bacon gives his best
performance yet here as well. Other standouts
include the always marvelous Laura Linney and
Martha Gay Harden, and Laurence Fishburne is
very good as Bacon's partner once you get over
the shock of watching Morpheus perform a
Bostonian accent.
The acting holds up what is otherwise a B movie.
The story never gets very suspenseful, and
halfway through the film, I knew who the
murderer was. The story also goes on too long,
and has several false endings.
Still, "Mystic River" is a tragic and gut
wrenching tale that showcases amazing acting. If
only director Clint Eastwood had upped the
suspense, it would have been an easy A.
Alas, it's just a very, very good movie.
