A gritty and powerful tale.

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2008)

Clint Eastwood's Mystic River is quite mystical for the simple fact that there is so much more going on underneath than above the surface, just like the river. There is a lot of symbolism here and that only adds to the complexity and power of the story. The acting is terrific with Penn and Robbins both giving Oscar-worthy performances. Bacon is underrated and Fishburne, Harden, and Linney all holding their own. This is heavy material and not easy to deal with, but director Eastwood handles it superbly, never delving too deep into unnecessary plots and not always going for the tearjerker. This is a straightforward, thought-provoking film that takes multiple viewings to understand it all. In my opinion, it isn't as good as Unforgiven or Million Dollar Baby, but it is still better than what most directors are churning put today, and I hope Clint Eastwood continues to do much of the same work that he did here.