Entertaining Drama/Thriller...but NOT Oscar material (Minor Spoilers)

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2004)

MYSTIC RIVER deals with the lives of Dave (Tim Robbins), Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Jimmy (Sean Penn) as grown ups living in the gritty suburbs of the greater Boston metro area. The movie opens with Dave (Robbins) as a young kid, being abducted by what appears to be an officer. We later find out that this so-called officer is actually a pederast and abuses Dave, leaving him mentally scarred. The movie fast forwards to the present day, where we see these 3 characters living less than spectacular but normal lives. Jimmy owns a convenience store, Sean becomes a detective cop and Dave just a regular dad. We know Dave is a bit of a weirdo because of his abuse as a child, but apart from that, he looks and acts pretty normal, has a loving wife and kid. The story takes a dramatic turn when Jimmy's (Sean Penn) eldest daughter is brutally killed. MYSTIC RIVER now turns into a homicide investigation movie and prime suspect becomes Dave for reasons that you have to see. It is clear to the audience that, despite Dave's odd character, he is NOT the one who murdered Jimmy's daughter, yet, through out the rest of the movie, that belief is stained with Dave's more and more abnormal behavior.
Although Sean Penn took the Oscar for best actor, to my belief, it was Tim Robbins show all the way. Penn did a much more dramatic and convincing role in 21 GRAMS than in this movie, although his acting is above average. Kevin Bacon also gives one of his best performances. It's an ensemble cast and it works well. MYSTIC RIVER is entertaining because it keeps you wondering through out the picture who did the murder and why. The ending is downbeat and un-Hollywood-esque, so it's not your standard fare drama with the happy ending, but by the same token, it leaves feeling you empty and wondering what was the moral of the story. This is a good movie, but I don't think it's Oscar material.
8* out of 10*