Atmosphere and Characters first

Rating: 8/10 (28 September 2003)

The plot of "Mystic River" isn't much to begin with. It's not dumb by all means but definitely a little overused. Ironically many of the actors involved in Eastwood's latest directorial effort have at some point or another starred in other versions the same story which revolves around a group of childhood friends who years later are brought back together because of a murder.
What makes "Mystic River" a tremendous achievement in regard to directing and acting is how well the characters are presented within their universe. I'm fascinated by the Irish-Americans in Boston where the movie takes place. They seem to be living on a planet of their own. A planet where moral dilemmas and crimes are justified through religion, Machiavellian workings of power and simple conservative leanings towards roman-catholic ideals. Brian Helgeland's script does a fine job by being the cornerstone for Eastwood's directing. Yet the writing itself isn't what make's this movie so good. Almost the entire strength of the story is being brought forth through Eastwood's meticulous direction.
As so often in these movies, victims and perpetrators share the same space and they are almost interchangeable. What Eastwood does brilliantly here, is to show that these flaws are absolutely human, and maybe even understandable if not admirable. They manifest themselves over the years and creep up and one day a murder is just a murder, and death is another way of living. Within this paradox Eastwood creates an number of breathtaking moments that show how "old school" film-making still tops every trickery of the "New Hollywood".
The flick takes deep breaths and flows along very slowly, maybe to slow for some viewers but the tightly knit atmosphere and the fine performances by this outstanding cast make sure that even when everything comes to a standstill and the camera focuses on one individual, nothing is out of place or boring.
After having become a legend in the movies, Eastwood now turned his eye on the legends and mysticism of a small community that is bound by faith, grief, hate and a never ending cycle of violence that can't be forgiven since these people can't forgive themselves. A subject Eastwood has tackled before and now expands it into our time, which makes it even scarier at some point, because there seems to be no difference between the West in "Unforgiven" and the East of "Mystic River", and although so many have died no lesson has been gained.