Another Clint masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (29 April 2005)

Mystic River makes for incredibly intense & uncomfortable viewing. It's the tale of three childhood friends - Dave, Jimmy & Sean - & how they & their families become caught up in a cycle of tit for tat violence. Although superficially a murder mystery Mystic River is first & foremost a character study. Those expecting a predominantly plot-driven thriller could end up disappointed.
The performances by all concerned are exceptional. The triumvirate of Sean Penn, Tim Robbins & Kevin Bacon deserve all the praise they get but the smaller roles are equally good - amongst them a splendid turn by Eli Wallach (Clint's co-star from The Good, the Bad & the Ugly) as the owner of a liquor store.
Clint's direction is exceptional. On the surface it appears low key & unassuming yet nothing could be further from the truth. Eastwood understands that story & character is what counts, not flashy, show-off camera angles just for the sake of it. Like those great directors of old - Michael Curtiz & John Ford amongst them - Clint makes directing look easy & that's the biggest compliment one can pay him.
In a story about the way acts of violence affect individuals the only way to break the cycle of violence, the movie suggests, is to start by recognising what you've done. Jimmy starts down this path but is tragically dissuaded from it by his wife who, in a pivotal scene, asserts that their children & his standing in the community is what matters most. It's an uncomfortably believable moment. Only Sean, in a series of one-sided phone calls from his estranged wife finally emerges into the light. The key moment? When he, alone of all the characters, is able to utter to his hurting wife the magic words, 'I'm sorry'.