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Movies Forum Index » Movie Reviews Forum » Review: Mystic River (2003)
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| Author |
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| Bob Bloom |
 Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2003 10:47 pm |
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MYSTIC RIVER (2003) Starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon,
Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Chapman,
Thomas Guiry, Emmy Rossum and Spencer Treat Clark. Music by Clint
Eastwood. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. Screenplay by Brian
Helgeland. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Rated R. Running time: Approx.
140 mins.
Tragedy builds upon tragedy in the dark and distressing Mystic River, a
painful drama masterly directed by Clint Eastwood.
The story of three boyhood friends whose lives are changed by one
catastrophic experience than brought together by another features an
all-star cast of performers in their top form.
Mystic River, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane with a screenplay
Brian Helgeland, is painful to watch.
It is not a physical hurt, but blows to the psyche and the soul that
make you wince as they erode the spark that holds a person's moral fiber
in its thin grasp.
Set in the blue-collar neighborhood of Boston's East Buckingham, the
story opens with three young friends, Jimmy, Sean and Dave playing
street hockey. Through a ruse, Dave is abducted by two pedophiles who
sexually assault him over a four-day period before he is able to escape.
The film then skips ahead 25 years. The three friends are reunited
because of the murder of Jimmy's 19-year-old daughter.
Investigating the case is Sean (Kevin Bacon), now a cop, and his
partner, Whitey (Laurence Fishburne). And using his own methods, Jimmy
(Sean Penn), an ex-con, begins looking for answers.
Dave (Tim Robbins) is connected to the crime through a series of
circumstances, which also force him to confront his childhood demons.
Eastwood does not rush the story. He lingers on his actors, allowing
the audience to get under the skin of their characters and discover
their history.
Penn has never been better. His Jimmy seethes with danger as well as
despair as he simultaneously grieves for his daughter and seeks justice
by any means possible.
Jimmy, after spending two years is prison for robbery, now makes his
living as the owner of a neighborhood grocery store. Yet the death of
his daughter unleashes the dark side he had buried years before.
It's a performance with Academy Award potential written all over it.
While Penn's role is the most splashy, Robbins' Dave is the more
complicated bit of acting. He has to leave the audience wondering if
because of his history, he is capable of such a heinous act.
Dave is a ghost, a walking dead man, his soul raped, his spirit
violated. Dave is haunted, a human husk. Robbins portrayal, too, should
be recognized come Oscar nomination time.
Marcia Gay Harden as Celeste, Dave's wife, also is touched by the
killing. She is overwhelmed with dread, doubt and uncertainty, and her
fears lead to dire consequences. She, too, deserves a nomination when
Oscar voters cast their ballots.
Bacon and Fishburne are comfortable and compatible as two veteran
partners who thoroughly know and appreciate each other's moods and
habits.
Eastwood does not allow his actors to be too showy. When possible he
prefers gestures or body language to words.
At about 2 hours and 20 minutes, Mystic River does overstay its welcome
a bit. It ends on an unnecessary coda instead of during a sequence that
would tie it into the opening scene.
And Laura Linney as Jimmy's wife plays a scene during the last reel
that comes out of left field and seems totally inappropriate for her
character.
Those minor miscues aside, Mystic River is a riveting adult drama, one
of Eastwood's best directorial efforts in years. It is a heartbreaking
slice of human drama that should not be missed; a movie that should be
considered when Oscar nominations are announced.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette,
IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at
bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at
www.jconline.com by clicking on movies.
Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Rottentomatoes Web site,
www.rottentomatoes.com and at the Internet Movie Database:
http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1206980
X-RT-TitleID: 1126042
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X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 |
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