Movie: Mystic River
Directed by Clint Eastwood; Written by Brian Helgeland
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon (Warner Brothers)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

---

Director Clint Eastwood has made a stunningly powerful but moody piece in Mystic River. No action picture this, in fact there's only one shot fired on screen during the entire movie. Set in modern times it's an uncompromising whodunit, but dark and cold like Eastwood's 1992 Best Picture winner, The Unforgiven.

This is a tale of human anguish, betrayal and retribution revolving around three boyhood friends -- Jimmy, Sean and David. The first thing you learn is that David suffered the trauma of being abducted as a sex slave when they were all about 12. He escaped, but he's damaged goods. Fast forward to the present when they are adults with wives and families of their own but they are still living in the same area. Storekeeper Jimmy's daughter is suddenly and brutally murdered and Policeman Sean finds himself investigating the murder. He quickly realizes that their boyhood friend, Dave, is a prime suspect.

Shot on location in Boston, there's a kind of peeling-paint verity to the piece and Eastwood pulls completely believable performances out of his actors. Kevin Bacon settles easily into his role as a slightly conflicted cop, kind of a reprise of the man he was in Wild Things, but a bit more honest. Tim Robbins plays Dave, the damaged adult, and he hasn't looked this disturbed since Jacob's Ladder. Sean Penn is entirely compelling as the distraught father of the murdered girl. Equally strong in supporting roles are Larry Fishburne as Sean's partner, Marcia Gay Harden as Dave's wife and Laura Linney as Jimmy's wife.

In spite of a very troubling ending to the story, Hollywood loves serious drama like this so Mystic River will undoubtedly get an Oscar nomination or five. Whether it wins or not depends on the competition. My money is still on Seabiscuit.

The Skinny:
Am I glad I saw the film? Yes.
Would I go to see it again? It's certainly worthwhile, but I don't think I care to visit the dark side of that town again.

© 2003 - Rusty Pipes