Overhyped - Incredibly uneven

Rating: Null/10 (22 October 2003)

Clint Eastwoods latest directoral film 'Mystic River', explains exactly why I can never go see one of his directed films ever again.
It has great acting, a good cast, a wonderful setting, much like his other films. But the problem is always the connection with the characters in the story. At many times this film doesn't know what it wants to be, at one point it becomes a story of innocence lost, then it becomes a crime thriller, but it tries to be both at the same time never giving the audience enough time to breath and catch up.
Characters life stories are crammed in with little time to develop leaving the viewer assaulted and hopelessly confused if they miss something. A smarmy cliche ending doesn't help either, and the relationship Bacon has with his ex seems only there just so the director can force some sympathy on his character it is WAY too obvious.
This film is incredibly uneven even with the very solid performances by Penn, Linney, Harden, Fishburne, Bacon and Robbins. But many times they're just going through the motions and not connecting with the audience. This film looks like one of those adapted to film novel type films where they tried to cram everything from the book in but tried to do it in a span of 30 minutes.
I should have known this after seeing Unforgiven, cause it was the exact same feeling I had when I walked out of that picture. Implausable characters never connecting with the story.
Overhyped
Rating 5 out of 10.