"Mystic River"

Sean Penn
Tim Robbins
Kevin Bacon
Laurence Fishburne
Marcia Gay Harden
Laura Linney
Kevin Chapman
Thomas Guiry
Emmy Rossum
Spencer Treat Clark

R           137min           2003

During a summer in 1975, Dave Boyle and two friends, Jimmy and Sean, are playing on a sidewalk in Boston when Dave is abducted by two men and subjected to sexual abuse over a period of several days. Eventually escaping, but haunted into adulthood by his trauma, Dave becomes a primary suspect when Jimmy's daughter, Katie, is found murdered. Sean, assigned to investigate the crime, finds himself facing both demons from the past and demons in the present as the circumstances surrounding Katie's death are uncovered is the plot of “Mystic River”. Written by J. Lake

Directed by Clint Eastwood and winner of two Oscar awards I found Mystic River to be a striking film. I found that the characters were flawed and real. It was a story that could happen on any street, no just in the USA but anywhere. This film has an outstanding cast.

Although it set in Boston this film could be set anywhere. The way Clint Eastwood tells this story makes it so accessible. It could have been set in Africa, England, or France and you would still gotten the drama and flaws of this characters. It ground with reality and flawed characters. Every character in this film was flawed and it was these flaws that fleshed out the characters. It had the feel that it was the retelling of a murder case that you have all the inside information. It a movie that gives you clues to what has happen and what is happening. Mainly what is shown you is misdirection and when it is revealed the behavior makes sense.

The film is full of outstanding veteran Hollywood actors. Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden lead this riveting drama, but its Sean Penn, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor in a Drama, gave a performance that man me respect him more as an actor. I never really paid attention to him until seeing him in “I am Sam” that when I became a fan of his. His performance in “Mystic River” shows that Hollywood underrates him and he truly deserved his Oscar.

I give it 4/5 Gs