World Famous Comics: Mystic River (Widescreen Edition)
Mystic River (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden Directed By: Clint Eastwood Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Surround Sound, NTSC Label: Warner Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 08, 2004 Running Time: 138 minutes Theatrical Release Date: October 15, 2003
Description: Drama. Mystic River tells the story of three men whose dark, interwoven history forces them to come to terms with a brutal murder on the mean streets of Boston.
Amazon.com: Superior acting, writing, and direction are on impressive display in the critically acclaimed Mystic River, Clint Eastwood's 24th directorial outing and one of the finest films of 2003. Sharply adapted by L.A. Confidential Oscar-winner Brian Helgeland from the novel by Dennis Lehane, this chilling mystery revolves around three boyhood friends in working-class Boston--played as adults by Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and Kevin Bacon--drawn together by a crime from the past and a murder (of the Penn character's 19-year-old daughter) in the present. These dual tragedies arouse a vicious cycle of suspicion, guilt, and repressed anxieties, primed to explode with devastating and unpredictable results. Eastwood is perfectly in tune with this brooding material, giving his flawless cast (including Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden and Laurence Fishburne) ample opportunity to plumb the depths of a resonant human tragedy, leading to an ambiguous ending that qualifies Mystic River for contemporary classic status. --Jeff Shannon
You Don't Gain Anything From Watching This Movie I have not read the book, so I cannot comment on that aspect. However, I didn't feel like I learned anything about humanity or the human condition from watching this movie. If you invest this much time in watching something, you hope to feel even just a little bit wiser when it's finished. The characters acted predictably and stayed "true" to their stereo-typical character types. No surprises. The 2 stars are for the relatively good acting and for the directing. Overall, though, watching it was a waste of time.
Great Performances Worth Seeing Particularly in the beginning of the movie as *spoiler*, we learn a girl has died. The reaction of her father and mother is just incredibly believable and something I will remember about this film. Hand him a reward for that and the rest.
The pedo-killer had me thinking he's crazy, and I've seen crazy. Maybe not killer crazy, but I've seen sick people. Again, a very convincing performance. Very believable.
Of course my review would not be complete without at least one complaint (hey, I like to give well-rounded critiques)...I would have liked to have not had the young boys as the killers. It just didn't make sense to me. I don't believe the deaf kid loved his brother so much he'd kill for him nor do I believe the boys accidentally shot a girl then had to finish her off before she squealed. I'm just sayin'...
Great Movie! I think this movie is very well done. The story and the characters portrayed are both excellent. Tim Robbins plays an extremely disturbed individual, and rightfully so. The grieving Sean Penn and the diligence of Kevin Bacon amongst the back drop of the small network of childhood friends, very well played. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. And the ending... was not at all what I had anticipated. Well cast and extremely good acting.
Fantastic There is not really much to say about this movie other than if you haven't seen it you need to. It is one of the greatest movies of all time I think.
Nice Try But a Lot of Holes Mystic River begins with great promise. It is photographed excellently with great overhead shots and scene blocking. The viewer is delivered straight into the scene of a horrifying child abduction and it is hard not to share empathy and/or trauma with the onscreen characters.About 30 yrs after the abduction we witness takes place is when the real story begins- a story of three neighborhood friends, one the shell shocked survivor of the earlier abduction (Tim Robbins), one a Boston homicide detective (Kevin Bacon)and one a former thug turned local shop owner (Sean Penn).
When Sean Penns late teen daughter is murdered, the three former buddies are reunited in the gritty Boston neighborhood of their chidhood. There are some great moments here- director Clint Eastwood recreates the shock and disbelief that comes with unspeakable tragedy very well and he does an excellent job illustrating a fathers trauma and the very sad and surreal hours after the initial murder.
Mystic River failed me several ways. For such a compelling opening and build-up you will likely be disappointed by the plot turns the script takes. Implausible chains of events, past relations and a "perfect storm" timeline that confuses investigators. If the plot is examined realistically (Occams Razor anyone?) it becomes improbable and something more suited for a Cinemax straight-to-video erotic thriller. Minus the erotic of course.
Film budget and maybe more could have been saved by shooting Mystic River without the three big stars in the three big roles. Unknown or little know talents could have brought more credibility to the roles, particularly of Sean Penns New England tough guy act that wears thin and Tim Robbins basket case abuse victim who is good at affecting the facial expression of a damaged and lost soul but little else. Again, casting botches by trying to push the "versatility" of the leads when they could have made a better film even with known entities like Denis Leary or Chazz Palmenteri.
There are some great support roles. Marcia Gay Harden is first rate as the troubled wife of a troubled man whose inner fears and loyalty clash with every move of her eyes.Laurence Fishburne is very buyable as Kevin Bacons homicide detective partner who provides a certain clarity because of his lack of connection to the neighborhood crime scene. Eastwood does wrap things up nicely, though , with a couple of well acted/directed scenes that are very thought provoking despite the plot defects.
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