Wrenching melodrama that stays with you

Rating: 8/10 (6 March 2004)

Before all of the hype about Mystic River, I wanted to see it because we so rarely have straight dramatic films anymore that don't involve a lot of flash, action or special effects. Thankfully, this season seems to be ripe with films that focus on characterization and story, and Mystic River seems to be leading the pack. With a phenomenal cast that deserved every award nomination and win they earned, Mystic River is a film that actually grew on me more in the days after I saw it than when I initially left the theater.

*Possible Spoilers*
Sean Penn, as the very flawed and grieving father who loses his daughter after she is murdered is amazing in this role. He was afforded many accolades and much buzz, and I actually firmly believe that while his win was predictable, it was also very deserved. Also deserving was Tim Robbins as the broken man who becomes a suspect in the murder. Sean Penn's performance was emotional, but Tim Robbins' performance made me weep in the theater. In general, this was a very strong cast.
Unfortunately, Eastwood tended to get a little heavy-handed at times. For example, the sense in which we see Penn's daughter before her murder, we see this overly vivacious, affectionate and charming girl  it's as if Eastwood is saying, `Just in case you don't believe that it's a shame she dies, and just in case you don't believe Penn's grief, let's make her as charming as we can in the five minutes she's on screen.' Penn's transformation from an almost professor-looking shop owner to thug is also remarkably quick, despite his former life and his suffered tragedy.
However, despite its flaws, Mystic River is an excellent film. Tragic and depressing, you will not feel good after seeing it, but its intensity is part of its appeal.
--Shelly