A trend is developing Mr Eastwood

Rating: 6/10 (19 October 2005)

MYSTIC RIVER Our video shop has a great deal Monday-Wednesday (by the way, when will "video shops" become "DVD shops"). Hire a new release for $3.95 and get a free weekly. Great money for value.
I'd been wanting to see this for a while, but knew the Mrs wouldn't be too keen. But due to the limited options in the store, I went for it.
As the title suggests, there's a lot of mystique in the movie. In what seems to be an Eastwood trend, the story takes a while to get going, draws you in then surprises you and finishes with an all-too-familiar ending. The cast is superb, especially Penn. When Lawrence Fishburne is about the fifth billed actor, you know the acting will be A1. It's a good story too. So why did I only give it a 6? For me, the story just went too long, was way too drawn out and had nothing to surprise. And I gotta ask- would it have killed Clint to put a wacky guy in the movie, like that kid in "Million Dollar Baby", without the bad bit. You know a local who cracks lots of jokes- maybe a barman or a postman or something? If you like good acting, you'll love this. If you like an impacting, powerful, gripping story, go hire something else.