Way overpraised

Rating: 6/10 (30 October 2003)

Three childhood friends (Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon) are reunited in Boston (actually shot in Chelsea and East Boston) when Penn's daughter is murdered. Robbins was molested as a boy and still shows the scars of it. On the night of the murder he arrives home covered with blood. He tells his wife (Marcia Gay Harden) that he killed a mugger...but there's nothing in the paper the next few days. Penn is desperate to find the killer and Bacon plays a member of the Boston police who (with partner Laurence Fishburne) tries to figure out what happened.
This was wildly overpraised by critics. Why? Because it's VERY quiet, VERY slow and VERY long--too long. Everything is done slowly and in almost complete silence...the effect on the audience is deadening. When a few twists come in the final reel they carried no emotional impact--they're done in the same quiet way as the rest of the film. Also, this easily could have been done in less than 2 hours--there's no reason for this film to ramble on for 2 hrs 15 min.
The only worthwhile things in the movie is seeing Boston on the big screen and the acting. Everybody is great--Penn, Robbins, Fisburne and Laura Linney--Bacon and Harden (in difficult roles) are just superb with Bacon faking the Boston accent very well.
This is basically a murder mystery that thinks WAY too much of itself. If Clint Eastwood hadn't directed it with this powerhouse cast it would probably have been ignored. Worth seeing for the beautiful Boston settings and the acting--but it's very slow and pretentious too. I can only give it a 6.
One good thing--it's a sure cure for insomnia. :)