An accurate character study

Rating: 9/10 (26 October 2003)

Clint Eastwood is known, in my mind, for directing films that show humanity, primarily the male segment, as it really is. And that is exactly what you get when you make an outing to see Mystic River. He achieves this with the help of unfailingly excellent acting from all fronts.
The film is not a failure at mashing together a number of different genres. It is a genreless story, which includes all the aspects of the murder case as they need to be shown, so that you can sympathize with Bacon, Penn, and Robbins' characters to the fullest. You feel suspense when the characters do, and are intrigued when they seek the answer to a question.
The primary controversy in this film is its ending. This is partially because what actually happens at the end is controversial, and Eastwood is not willing to let us know what he had in mind. We are expected to look at what we have learned about the characters throughout the story, and look at their final actions, and decide what has happened to them, and why they did what they did. It is up to us to judge their decisions, and we don't have any narrated monologues to help us. This film will not inspire you to be a better man, but it will help you know what a man is.