Simply astounding

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2003)

I think it's about time The Academy gives Sean Penn the Oscar he's deserved for years. And Mystic River is the film that's going to do it. Sean Penn gives his best performance, and one the best performances I've seen in years.
The basic plot, without trying to give much away, is this:
Sean Penn is Jimmy, whose daughter is brutally murdered. He gets his men to snoop around, and try and find out who did it, while two detectives, (Laurence Fishburne, and Kevin Bacon), conduct their own investigations as well.
The same night, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), comes home, covered in blood. He tells Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden), his wife, he had to protect himself from a mugger, and may have killed him. Nothing is reported in the papers of that, and with time, Celeste becomes suspicious, and later, the detectives do as well.
And then the story unfolds. Now that's the basic, basic plotline.

Mystic River in an incredible piece of filmmaking. Is it the Best Picture of the year? No, but it's up there.
The strongest aspect of the film would be the acting. Every actor, and character is dead on. I can't imagine the film with anyone else. The cinematography does not rely on flashiness to tell it's story, and its subtlety is a real asset to the film. . And the script is just flawless, at least from a first viewing.
I was sitting there, knowing what wasn't going to happen, or thinking I knew what wasn't. Or being certain I did know, and I was wrong, and I think that's the best thing a film of this genre can do.
Overall, a great film, that I believe has a great future in the box office, and will have great success as we get closer to the awards season.