Clint Eastwood at his Grittiest.

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2019)

Clint Eastwood's crowning achievement in directing doesn't get much closer than Mystic River. A haunting, devastating film about the loss of innocence. Shattered worlds and broken hearts as tragedy strikes three kids from South Boston. Tim Robbins gives a frightening performance as Dave Boyle, the emotionally destroyed abuse victim and the accused murderer of a young girl. Sean Penn plays the mean, hard-shelled Jimmy Markum, who in no uncertain terms want's someone to pay for messing with his family. Penn's performance is best when he is quiet and brooding. Something about subtly, he has always done good with. When he flips his lid, I hate to say, he becomes laughable bad. Perhaps the one weak spot in an otherwise fantastic film.