Superb acting captivates

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2003)

It's a long way from Rawhide to the Mystic River in Boston, but director Clint Eastwood makes the transition in style. This is not a 'nice' film, and consequently I find myself automatically grading it out of 9 instead of 10. There are liberal sprinklings of graphic violence and language, neither of which, as we know from experience, need to exist to result in a first-rate drama. The drawcard here, though, is the acting performances, particularly that of Sean Penn. It should be an award-winning effort, as he carries the role of Jimmy Markham, 'reformed' crook, now family man, to perfection. There are some very adequate support roles portrayed also, notable Tim Robbins as Dave. The story begins some 25 years earlier, with the abduction and maltreatment of one of three young boys while innocently playing in the street. Any one of them could have been the victim, a fact which returns to haunt them all individually in the years to come. In later life, with the disappearance of the daughter of one of the three, we are drawn into what proves to be a gruesome murder trail. Along that trail, the three are reunited by circumstance, reigniting their recollection of the earlier kidnapping incident. Eventually, some police ballistics evidence leads us to the correct solution, but not before a false accusation has resulted in one unfortunate suspect being summarily dealt with.
Although Mystic River is longer than the average film, the viewer will remain totally engaged - a testimony to Eastwood's ability to claim, and retain, our attention for the duration. We are even told in the credits that he composed the original music in the film - I wish I had paid more attention to that at the time. With acting of this calibre, a rating of at least 8 out of 10 is warranted.