Mystic River Review
by Susan Granger (ssg722 AT aol DOT com)October 6th, 2003
Susan Granger's review of "Mystic River" (Warner Bros.)
Clint Eastwood's new thriller is, basically, a character study, revolving around three youths - Jimmy, Sean and Dave - who grew up in East Buckingham, a working-class neighborhood near Boston. When they were 11 years-olds, playing in the street, two pedophiles, posing as policemen, kidnapped Dave, seemingly the most vulnerable, forcing him into their car. His physical molestation and psychological torture haunts all three for the rest of their lives.
Their paths converge again 25 years later. Now Jimmy (Sean Penn) has a corner grocery store in the old neighborhood. He's an ex-con-gone-straight who's devoted to his wife (Laura Linney) and three daughters. Dave (Tim Robbins) has a wife (Marcia Gay Harden) and young son. And Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a homicide detective whose wife has inexplicably run off. Fate brings them together when Jimmy's oldest daughter (Emmy Rossum) is found beaten to death in a park.
Look for an Oscar nomination for Sean Penn whose intense performance is ferocious yet tinged with the subtle shadings of a watercolor. Tim Robbins delivers a richly detailed and affecting characterization of a secretive, dysfunctional man, while Kevin Bacon exudes a riveting screen presence as a cop doing his duty. In her own quiet way, Laura Linney is strong and surprisingly compelling, and Marcia Gay Harden is captures a tormented woman's heartbreaking desperation. As director, Clint Eastwood once again displays an astonishing visual sense and Brian Helgeland renders Dennis Lehane's novel into a provocative screenplay. Problem is: it's too obvious whodunit. That's a big blunder. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Mystic River" is a tense, gripping 8. It's a cleverly complex, powerful and original American tragedy.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
