"Maybe some day you forget what it's like to be human and maybe then, it's OK. " - Dave Boyle

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2005)

# 2 Film of 2003
Mystic River' was one of those films where I was really excited about it, but also afraid about it. You see, prior to 'Mystic River' Clint Eastwood hasn't made a decent film in six years. He's a tremendously talented film director (he's very multi-talented too - he directs, produces, performs the musical score and sometimes even acts in his movies), but 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil', 'True Crime', 'Space Cowboys' and 'Blood Work' all flopped impetuously. Even 1997's 'Absolute Power' wasn't anything great (it was good, nothing to hand out any kind of award for, though.) Eastwood's new film featured remarkably talented actors like Sean Penn (Oscar Nominee), Tim Robbins (Oscar Nominee), Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden (Oscar Winner), Laura Linney (Oscar Nominee) and Laurence Fishburne (Oscar Nominee). It was even based on a great novel, and the screenplay was written by Academy Award Winning screenwriter, Brian Helgeland, but still I had my skepticism. Well, I can tell you that 'Mystic River' was not only a masterpiece, it's one of the best films ever made.
The film, adapted from Dennis Lehane's praiseworthy dramatic novel by the same name, follows three childhood friends, Jimmy Markum, Dave Boyle and Sean Devine. One normal gloomy Boston afternoon the boys are playing a game of street hockey and are stopped by two local cops (one of which played by The Wire's John Doman  a show in which Dennis Lehane writes for). The cops badger the boys and eventually take Dave off in the car. Sean and Jimmy tell their parents, and later it is known that the two were es who molested Dave. Dave managed to escape the dark and creepy basement in the middle of the woods where the two es were keeping him, and make it home. After that day, Dave was emotionally scarred and drifted apart from his friends Jimmy and Sean. Eighteen years later, Jimmy (Sean Penn) is a hardened ex-con who owns and runs the local convenience market and is married to a tough broad, Annabeth (Laura Linney), Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a detective with the Boston police department, and Dave (Tim Robbins) is a blue-collar worker with a wife, Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) and a son (Cayden Boyd). The three have drifted far apart, when the of Jimmy's oldest daughter, Katie (Emmy Rossum  The Phantom of the Opera) brings them all together, with Sean leading the investigation with his partner Whitey (Laurence Fishburne) and Dave being unfortunately a prime suspect. The non-stop emotional roller-coaster that is 'Mystic River' begins.
First of all, Clint Eastwood does an unquestionably superlative job directing this masterfully crafted slice of cinema heaven. Eastwood provides us with an authentic, vivacious and experienced vision, making 'Mystic River' his finest achievement yet. Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) provides an Oscar worthy screenplay with rich character development and some of the finest dialogue film has ever seen. The acting is also extraordinary in 'Mystic River', with not two, but three actors giving the best performances of their career. Sean Penn plays his character with such indignation, frustration and raging emotion it stands as one of the ten best screen performances of all time. Tim Robbins is almost equally as brilliant in his greatest performance to date, as the conflicted, haunted soul that is Dave Boyle, while Marcia Gay Harden (also in the best performance of her career) is nothing short of meritorious as Dave's concerned wife. Kevin Bacon is almost faultless, Laura Linney never ceases to impress with her very limited screen time, and Laurence Fishburne is rock solid as Sean Devine's clever partner, Whitey. 'Mystic River' also features a haunting yet beautiful musical score (composed by none other then Clint himself) and a very powerful ending that will no doubt choke you up.
The picture may drag a little bit towards the middle, but the film very much plays like a splice of life in that it is not always fair, not always climatic and never, ever sappy. Like '21 Grams', 'Mystic River' is a very realistic picture when relating to real life, but it's not quite as dark as '21 Grams', neither as jumbled (which in this case is definitely a positive thing.) There are numerous aspects about 'Mystic River' to cherish, so if you don't mind a bit of a downer, 'Mystic River' will take you on a wonderful and genuinely thrilling ride. I cannot recommend 'Mystic River' more. Bravo, Mr. Eastwood, Bravo! Grade: A (screened at AMC Deer Valley 30, Phoenix, Arizona, 10/17/03)
MADE MY TOP 300 LIST AT # 18