Eastwood's ultimate masterpiece.

Rating: 9/10 (12 March 2006)

I don't know how Mr. Eastwood makes it possible to upgrade such a simple basic plot to this shocking yet heartbreaking ending or how he puts such intensity to every single word the characters speak or how he shows scenes of a usual downtown neighborhood that feels so much personal yet alien to the actions in the film. I don't know how he takes out the career-best performances from each and every actor in this film, even Kevin 'Tremors' Bacon and Lawrence Fishburne. With enough respect to Peter Jackson, I don't know how the Academy denied his Oscar that year.
I don't know how Sean Penn puts so much passion in a character that's so against his type. His performance as Jimmy is not only one of the most honest performances I've ever seen, it's perhaps one of the most versatile, most contrasting one till date. His other masterful works like in Dead Man Walking or The Asassination of Richard Nixon are simply no comparison. This acting one does once in a lifetime.
And, I don't know how Tim Robbins could regain such acting ability after all these years. I don't know why his role was nominated in the supporting actor category. I'd very much like to see them competing for one award. Surely that'd make some hairs gray.