Clint Eastwood's Very Best

Rating: 9/10 (13 June 2007)

During a summer in 1975, Dave Boyle and two friends, Jimmy and Sean, are playing on a sidewalk in a Boston street when Dave is abducted by two men and subjected to sexual abuse over a period of several days. Eventually escaping, but haunted into adulthood by his huge trauma, Dave becomes the main suspect when Jimmy's daughter is found dead. Sean, assigned to investigate the crime, finds himself facing both unpleasant issues from the past and unpleasant issues in the present as the circumstances surrounding Katie's death are uncovered.
The cast was perfect. There are no words to describe the outstanding performances by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. In addition to that, there were stunning performances by Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden and Tom Guiry. In my opinion, Laurence Fishburne is particularly praiseworthy for his tough, hard nose investigator who prevents his partner from making understandable emotional compromises in analyzing the growing body of evidence. Fishburne is convincing and impressive. However, the character that stands out the most is, undoubtedly, Penn's Jimmy Markum. I'm glad Sean Penn finally won an Academy Award, he's a brilliant actor and he certainly deserves the recognition. All of his scenes perfectly capture the emotional rage of the character. Penn's sheer brilliance completely anchors the film.
Clint Eastwood delivers an amazing psychological thriller with considerable tone and artistry as it progresses towards its extremely painful and melancholic resolution. This movie literally grabs you and shakes you, and makes you watch it, no matter how painful it can be.
The depth and emotion that is in each and every scene is remarkable. It's hard to believe that "Lord of the Rings" won Best Picture instead of "Mystic River". One of the best we've had in decades of film-making. 10/10