Powerful story, part mystery, part psychological drama...

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2004)

Clint Eastwood's directorial savvy is on full exhibition in MYSTIC RIVER--a story that unravels with a sense of mystery from the opening shot with three boys playing street games until one of them is forced into a car by a man posing as a policeman. In what is a poignant moment captured beautifully by the director, the boy leaves his friends behind as he watches from the rear window of the car until it disappears further into the distance.

Then we pick up threads of the story years later where the three children are now adults living in the Boston blue-collar neighborhood near Mystic River with each character examined in turn as they go on with their lives, affected somehow by that long ago incident that has left one of them (Tim Robbins) permanently damaged in mind and spirit.
All of the performances are riveting and each deserves high praise. Sean Penn as the unruly father with a troubled past is remarkable, displaying an array of emotions that mark him as an exceptional actor. Tim Robbins, in a muted performance, is excellent--as is Kevin Bacon, now a police officer who is called to duty when Penn's daughter becomes a murder victim. Suspense is maintained throughout and there are several powerful scenes of graphic violence.
The story is fascinating and the performances are all first rate, including Marcia Gay Harden as the wife who suspects her husband is a killer, and Laurence Fishburne as the brusque but efficient police sergeant who is partner to Bacon.
There is one major flaw: despite all the craftsmanship--the writing, the direction, the cinematography, the music--the revelation of the girl's killer comes as a disappointment since there is no preparation for it in the script--and furthermore, it seems a highly unlikely solution. Up until that point, the film is on track all the way--but things fall apart swiftly in the last fifteen minutes. But in the meantime, we have been treated to interaction of some very human and believable characters for whom the rough and raw language seems appropriate, if a bit overdone.
Summing up: A fascinating and distinguished piece of filmmaking despite this obvious flaw in the plot's outcome.
Trivia note: Watch for Eli Wallach in an uncredited bit role as Mr. Looney, the elderly proprietor of a liquor store.