Mystic River
May 17, 2004Grade: A
I didn’t even intend on seeing this movie, but I’m definitely glad I did. I went to the cheap theater here in Louisville, the Village 8, not really certain if they were playing anything I’d want to see. I was tempted to go see Return of the King again, but that’s coming out on DVD soon and I’m sure I’ll buy it. And they’re playing the original Shrek film, a tie-in with the sequel opening up in a week or two. In the end I figured I’d go see Clint Eastwood’s movie, Mystic River.
The premise is three childhood friends who are changed forever when one of them is abducted by a couple pedophiles. Flash forward 25 years and while they have all grown up and gotten married and had kids, none of them have had a particularly smooth transition into middle age. The daughter of Sean Penn’s character gets killed, his now grown-up friend played by Kevin Bacon is the investigator on the case, and Tim Robbins (whose character was the abductee who eventually escaped) winds up the prime suspect. In the end not even their childhood friendships can save them from another tragedy in their midst.
This movie was just brilliantly acted. All three of the leads were so solid, so in character. Sean Penn especially I thought captured the menace of his character, who was a bratty kid and grew up to be something of a gangster. His grief at his daughter’s death is so palpable and so powerful, you really feel the power of a father’s loss. And Tim Robbins as the former abuse victim who carries so many demons around inside him is equally brilliant at capturing that loss within his character.
The supporting cast is just as good, especially Marsha Gae Harden as Robbins’ wife who ends up suspecting he may have killed Penn’s daughter. We see her journey thru doubt and indecision, it’s just a brilliant performance.
Highly recommend this movie. A little on the long side, over two hours, but I don’t think you ever really notice it. Clint Eastwood proves once again that he really is a master film-maker.
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