Flawed Yet Still Powerful and Thought Provoking Murder Mystery for Adults

Rating: 8/10 (9 November 2003)

So the big question is does Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River" deserve all the Oscar Buzz and lavish praise from critics? Well, the answer, just like the answers given to many of the seedy dilemmas in this film about dark secrets amongst three friends reunited for the first time since childhood after one's teenage daughter is brutally murdered, is a difficult one. Yes and no.
I think the reason "Mystic River" has been praised to high heaven is that is represents the kind of old fashioned film-making so many critics wish Hollywood would return to. This is a slow, dark, quiet, and morally ambiguous murder mystery directed by a beloved veteran (Eastwood) who really hasn't directed anything of substance in nearly a decade that serves as an acting showcase for some of Hollywood's finest performers. It's solid entertainment for adults. It's a competent, character driven adaptation of a best-selling suspense novel. And most of all, it makes the audience think. We think about the plot points, many of which have holes you can drive a truck through. We think about character motivations. Why did Sean Penn's character do that? Why did Marcia Gay Harden's character not trust her husband (Tim Robbins)? We think about the director's motivations. Why was the lighting so dark? Why was the music score so simple (yet oddly beautiful)? We think about the point of it all. We think what were they trying to convey here? Is there any moral after all the misguided revenge and cover-ups? Also, when was the last time you saw a thriller end with a climax that attempted to reach the level of Shakespearian tragedy and ALMOST succeed? It may not be great film-making in that it comes up short, but it sure is good, and you have to celebrate it for trying. So if heaping a film like this with too much praise leads people into the theater to see it, which in turn gets Hollywood to consider making a few more films like this instead of the homogenized drivel we normally see, then I'll be the first in line to rave about "Mystic River."