Are you gonna send 500 dollars to Celeste too?

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2006)

More than anything, the performances of all involved is what makes this movie extremely riveting. Added to that, Eastwood's meticulous and methodical directing, which was obviously the driving force behind the great performances. Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon give enough intensity to their portrayal. As does Tim Robbins who carries out a deranged persona of someone who came out from a terrible childhood ordeal with scathing after effects.
Marcia Gay Harden is also surprising and brings a lot of fear and doubt from her character. Linney brings maturity to her role, and during the turning point that launches Act 2, she and Penn conjure up the appropriate magnitude of emotion required. Let's not forget Laurence Fishburne who brings us his zeal and typical imposing persona that all of us know him for having... And hey, you've got to love Emmy Rossum, at least during her few minutes of screen time. She's just charming, but Phantom of the Opera is the movie to see if you want more from the girl who plays the ill-fated heroine in Mystic River.
Interestingly you will see a lot of depth to the character's past and the interpersonal connections that each have. Much more than being a whodunnit, there are other twists in the end, - you wouldn't know Jimmy Markum's secret until all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. And before meeting his fate, Dave Boyle (Robbins) redeems himself and the flashbacks reveal the act of violence that he did, that once divulged to us, the movie audience - can only be enough denouement we could ask for, well to make up for his disgraceful and forced confession to his tormentor and captor in the last scene.
What the observing spectator may note from the way Eastwood operates as a director, and perhaps his writers as well is the amount of time and minutae executed with respect to bringing out the best and the worst from his characters and their ruined lives. Elements of disgrace. Elements of redemption. You will see some of those things as well as the movie closes. I hope I didn't give much away in my essay here, I'll just leave you to judge for yourself whether Mystic River deserves the critical acclaim it has from many, or from the other end of the polarized group of audiences; the hate and destructive contempt coming from the people who don't appreciate this film. It is up to you. As for myself, I found myself watching the whole movie through, there are times that on DVD I pause a film and watch it in 2 sittings, but for this one? I sat all the way through merely because the performances, the good story and direction made the 2 hours and 11 minutes blast by very fast. But should you you take my word for it, go ahead and give Mystic River a try.