Rating: 
Summary: Powerful but flawed
Review: Although this much praised film is graced by strong acting and solid, craftsmanlike direction by Eastwood, its power as a story is fundamentally undercut by several factors, first by its failure to make any sense of Dave's refusal to come clean with his wife. Why, on one hand, he would tell her that he thought he killed a man, but not divulge the real reason behind his action. Secondly, why did Kevin Bacon as a supposedly ethical policeman appear to give a pass to someone who he knew had murdered an innocent man? The fact that he had been a childhood companion of the murderer hardly seems like a credible reason, especially this was also equally true of his relationship with the victim. Finally, the vengeance taken lacks ultimate tragic power in that it is willful instead of something that the situation requires. By contrast, in the Unforgiven, arguably Eastwood's magnum directorial opus of the previous decade, the deadly vigilante type violence his character displayed in avenging the murder of his friend is not only understandable but necessary to effect justice, much as one might recoil from what the protagonist did, given that the murderer was the town sheriff in a frontier setting lacking any alternative legal means of recourse.
Alhthough this film is worth watching for its strengths, I find it fundamentally flawed in terms of both its credibility and dramatic power.
Rating: 
Summary: The trailer predictor factor proves true again
Review: One of my movie predictors is the trailer. In short: LONG trailer=bad movie. Short trailer=good movie. Try it out yourself and you'll see that it bears out most of the time. Think about the movies you've gone to and realized that ALL of the best lines/scenes were shown during the advertisements for the movie... [Also, if you're renting a video and the previews are all for movies that aren't good, the one you're getting ready to watch is a stinker too!] Anyway, the trailers for Mystic River were short, vague-ish, and slick. I KNEW this would be a good film and I wasn't disappointed. The acting is simply magnificent. There is NOT a bad performance here to be seen. The plot is solid, full of undercurrents, implications, and moral questions. There are some interesting twists here and details that really make you sit up straighter as you try to puzzle them out. I won't spoil anything in this film for you and other reviews have discussed the premise, etc. But, I will add that the characters show elements of people YOU know all throughout the film. You catch glimpses of behavior you see in the people you know and love... things you've maybe never noticed before now. You find yourself trying to imagine yourself in the shoes of this character and then that one... What would I do? What would I think? How would I feel? This is a film you watch ACTIVELY. This is not the film you sit through passively as it washes over you--although there is a time and place for those types of films. This is a film that you questioning, trying to sort out your own opinions and feelings. Very nicely done. A Solid Film.
Rating:
Summary: Mystic River is a cleverly hidden treasure
Review: The REAL question of this movie is: Are you ONLY considered a victim if you are the person who endured the violence? Three boys stand on the sidewalk pressing their names into wet cement. A man pulls up claiming to be a cop and one boy takes the ride that will change his life forever. But what of the two boys left there in the street? This movie may seem on its surface to be a mere mystery/suspense/thriller. And there certainly IS that element, absolutely. I did in fact guess early on the killer--but I have a knack for that, and I know from speaking with others that they did NOT know who did it. But, that is NOT the totality of the film. [I liked that one reviewer pegged this a mystery of the human psyche. Apt description.] It's cleverly hidden within a tale of a murder, but the crux of the story is what are the ramifications long term of being ALMOST a victim of a crime. How does one fare having to know every day that it could have been you; having to watch someone wither and change and walk around in the body of someone you once called friend... What does that do to you? I'm saddened to see that it appears many people did not walk away from this film with the full weight its promise. There is a lot subtext, undercurrent of character dynamics, and things left unsaid in this film. The biggest shocker for me personally was the revelation at the end of the film by Laura Linney's character. She plays the wife of Sean Penn's character, Jimmy. I won't spoil it for you, but it was an important few minutes of film. Laura Linney's entire performance is like this. Her screen time is minimal, but there is not one second of waste. Sean Penn is outstanding, as is Kevin Bacon, but the real powerhouse here is Tim Robbins. I'm not especially a fan of his either way, but I'm here to tell you, this is without a doubt the best performance he's ever given. Imagine the challenge here of playing a now grown man carrying the scars of a traumatic sexual assault. Robbins played the part expertly, neither under- or over- playing. Robbins wife is played by Marcia Gay Harden and she delivers a solid performance here. She is both believable and sympathetic. Some reviewers complained of the ending--they seemed to think that the film was supposed to end in a Hollywood rash of action and conclusion. No, the point of the film has been entirely!!! The ending is perfect for this film. One reviewer complained that they felt we were supposed to take away the idea that whatever you do to avenge your loved ones is all right. No, no! He missed the point! I think the point is, that we rationalize what our loved ones do in order to live with the cards we've been dealt. There exists among us those who do this to survive. They see what's inevitable given the circumstances, and they adjust their viewpoint to accept it. There are others among us who cannot possibly ever wrap their minds around what has happened, and they have a much harder time in life. Is either right? No. There IS no right answer. THAT is the point. Some reviewers complained of the understory with Bacon and his phone via the phone. SYMBOLISM. She is the symbol for what cannot be said. Things we cannot bear to speak. NICELY done. Yes, while I was watching, I was thinking... what's up with this??? She calls and says nothing??? But, at the end, I realized their relationship was a literal expression for us, the viewer. This film left me WANTING TO READ THE BOOK. That's the mark of a good film. Usually, since I already know what happened, I wouldn't dream of bothering with the book. This is just absolutely a damn fine film. If you miss it, you're missing out.
Rating: 
Summary: Good performances, but disappointing story
Review: Whenever a movie receives an avalanche of critical support, I get a little hesitant about seeing that film. What typically happens is towards the latter third of the year, movie studios will release their films that they feel are most likely to receive Oscar nominations. The problem that occurs is that many of these movies generate tremendous advanced word and end being the benefactors of the mob mentality among films critics. If a few notable critics give 'Year's 10 Best' acclaim to these award-season films, the majority of other critics will feel pressured to make themselves believe the movie is just as great. Unfortunately, many times, these films prove to be just 'ok' at best, and frequently they may actually be quite bad. In past years, films that received an astounding amount of critical acclaim, but were inappropriate, unsatisfying, or downright clunkers include "The Sweet Hereafter", "I Am Sam", and the Laura Linney debacle "You Can Count on Me".
The latest offering by director (not actor) Clint Eastwood, "Mystic River" falls firmly into that category of the over-praised year-end films. The reputation of the director, not to mention a grade-A cast that includes Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, Laura Linney, and Marcia Gay Harden gives this film a pedigree that few films have ever had. The previews make "Mystic River" look like a truly powerful and moving film. However, there's a danger with movies whose sole source of power is the impact they are able to have on your emotions, as is the case here. The danger is that, when in the course of being emotionally gripped (or manipulated, depending on your point of view), the audience reacts very poorly to any plot developments that confuse, distract, or disturb them. Disturbing, inappropriate, and unnecessary subplots destroyed whatever affect "The Sweet Hereafter" was aiming for. In "Mystic River" some confusing developments nearly derail this film, as well.
The story, itself, focuses on the lives of three friends from Boston. As children, they were inseparable, until one day when a despicable cop and priest deceive, kidnap, and molest one of the boys. The boy, named Dave, escapes, but his life and the friendship of all three of them is changed irrevocably. Fast forward 25 years and the three friends have long since gone their separate ways. Dave (played by Tim Robbins) is still shattered by what happened to him as a child, but is trying to have some semblance of a normal life with a wife and a young son of his own. One of the two other friends, Sean (Kevin Bacon), is now a Boston homicide cop whose estranged wife has an annoying habit of always calling him, but never saying anything. The other friend, Jimmy (Sean Penn), is an ex-con who controls something that resembles his neighborhood's underworld, though he is trying his best to stay as legitimate as possible for the benefit of his children (one is an older daughter from a previous marriage and two are young girls from his current marriage). There lives end up intersecting again on a terrible day in which Jimmy's oldest is found murdered after a night of partying. Sean is one of the cops assigned to investigate the case and Dave's wife is the cousin of Jimmy's wife and tries to be supportive in their time of need. Questionable motives first lead to a number of suspects before Dave's bizarre behavior begins to draw the focus squarely on him.
What makes this movie work, and why I won't give it a negative recommendation, is the powerhouse performances a few of the actors. In this respect, the critics are correct in heaping praise on this movie. Sean Penn's devastation as the grieving (and aggrieved) father is heart wrenching. It is top-notch performance. Yet, even it pales in comparison to the sorrowful and agonizing performance given by Tim Robbins as Dave. Robbins, who is normally viewed as a better director than an actor, hits all the right notes in his embodiment of Dave. In Robbins portrayal, you can empathize and almost sympathize with emotions and distress that are an everyday part of Dave's life. He's a man who hasn't felt like he will ever be human again or ever be an accepted member of society, no matter how hard he tries. These performances are what make this film go.
On the downside, there are uninspiring performances by Kevin Bacon and Laura Linney (who plays Jimmy's wife), and a bizarrely neurotic one by Marcia Gay Harden as Dave's unsympathetic wife. In addition, "Mystic River" includes that 'confusing' moment that leaves you scratching your head and saying, "what just happened here?" Without revealing any crucial plot details, it can be said that at the end of the movie, there is a scene where Jimmy is confessing to his wife about the actions he has taken and his wife gives a bizarre and confusing monologue where she seems as though she could be a related to Lady MacBeth. Even though the climax of the movie was a bit unsatisfying, it was arrived at honestly. The inclusion of this odd denouement can't do anything but make the viewer feel unnaturally uncomfortable with everything that took place in this film. Now, it is fact that this last scene is present in the book "Mystic River", but it left readers very uncomfortable there, too. Under the guise of 'artistic license', Clint Eastwood would have been well served by excluding that scene.
On the whole, "Mystic River" is not a bad movie, and I give it three stars (though just barely). The points made above demonstrate why this film is not worthy of ridiculous praise it is receiving, but on its own merits is still a credible film.
Rating:
Summary: Subtext anyone?
Review: At the time of submitting this comment, there are 70 other reviews for this film. They have mostly been enthusiastic, but they're virtually all the same. They run through the synopsis, praise the acting, praise Clint, and call it a great movie, but no one has attempted to deal with the meaning of the film, or I should say the meta-meaning. Some have rightly pointed out that it is a film about the consequences of vigilantism, a film about revenge and (as Clint himself has said) how "evil begets evil". But the ending has confused, even annoyed many people. Some have expressed concern that the message seems to be that it's OK to commit murder as long as you do it in the name of your family. They wonder what Eastwood and Helgeland were thinking to devise such a "hateful and evil" message. But this is a most important and searching question, for it focuses on the crux of the film. In THE GODFATHER films, the Corleone family were a law unto themselves, the ultimate vigilante's. Any action was justifiable if it was in the interest of "the family", a creed most would rightly recognise as hateful and evil. In MYSTIC RIVER, we watch a vigilante story play itself out, culminating in a patriotic street parade intercut with what seems to be a justification for vigilantism. This is not mere irony. Eastwood portrays a community in which vigilantism has a place, a community not so different from those in Western sagas where lawless frontiers were tamed by men who spoke with the barrel of gun. Eastwood confronted his part in the portrayal of the West in UNFORGIVEN, and in MYSTIC RIVER he asks us to do the same, to face our own "hearts of darkness". The film ends with the camera (the viewer) plunging into the dark and murky Mystic River, suggesting that we too could plunge headlong into dark irreconcilable waters. The film could be read as a metaphor warning against ideas and actions that lead us into political vigilantism. It's no coincidence that some of the characters are mute. Muteness is part of the subtext of the film, referring to having no voice or refusing to use the one we have. Nor is it coincidental that in the final few minutes we observe mute communication (through eye contact and hand gestures) between characters who seem to be expressing a mute acquiescence. Is it a great film? Well, despite the importance (and potency) of the message, I thought the film was rather patchy - at times very good, at other times risible. Some of the dialogue was particularly grim. Nevertheless, it deserves serious attention for its disturbingly important (and brave) subtext. Sadly, judging by many of the critical reviews I have read, very few seem to "get" the point of the film. That's just as disturbing as the message of the film itself.
Rating:
Summary: Clint Eastwood + Dennis Lehane + Superior Cast = Great Film!
Review: Clint Eastwood takes his 24th turn in the director's chair with "Mystic River." Eastwood has become an exceptional filmmaker and this movie, although flawed at times, is one of his best. He also composed the film's melancholy score. Oscar-winning screen writer Brian Helgeland has done an exceptional job at adapting Dennis Lehane's superb novel. And with a super all-star cast of actors, how can one go wrong? This film is a must-see movie for 2003. The film kicks-off with a chilling incident. Three adolescent boys are scratching their names in wet cement on a neighborhood street in Boston. A man, who appears to be a plain-clothes cop, approaches them and gives them grief about messing up the sidewalks. He orders one of the kids into his car, saying he'll drive him home where he belongs. The boy disappears for four days. When he finally does go home, it is only after escaping from a basement where he has been held and sexually abused. This incident will forever link the lives and destinies of the three. Fast-forward twenty-five years - same cast of characters, now three grown men and same Irish-American Boston neighborhood. Jimmy, (Sean Penn), went to jail for robbery when he was 21. Now he runs a convenience store. Sean, (Kevin Bacon) is a detective with the Massachusetts State Police whose wife has just walked out on him. Dave, (Tim Robbins), never really recovered from his experiences in the basement and appears emotionally numb. He's married to Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden). They have a nine year-old son who Dave is apparently devoted to. The men rarely get together anymore but the events of a seemingly innocent Saturday night on the town, it's prelude and violent, tragic aftermath, bring the three back together again. This intense tale of friendship, loyalty and revenge left me with a feeling of disquiet for hours after it ended. The acting is powerful. Sean Penn's Jimmy, whose grief and seething rage lie beneath a calm exterior, is the most interesting of the movie's characters. Kevin Bacon plays the good detective who wants to do right by his friend and also conduct a professional investigation. But the camera returns to Dave, time and again, as the tension builds. Dave, a lost soul, looks as if he is hanging-on to sanity by a fragile thread. Although Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden are talented actors they have relatively little face time in the movie. The film's ending is somewhat anti-climatic. The mystery builds to a crescendo but the ending doesn't pack a wallop. There is tremendous intrigue, and Bacon and Fishburne do an excellent job with the murder investigation, but I did feel let down when the answers finally came in. As a study of character, friendship and buried secrets, this is strong and substantial film. Highly recommended!
JANA
Rating:
Summary: Clint is Back - Better Than Ever!
Review: 5 - MYSTIC RIVER
Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Sudden Impact. Space Cowboys) has directed for many years and this film is one of the best Who Done It - I have seen in along time. He makes you guess and guess and guess. Just when you thought you figured it out - Wrong! I even got mad at myself watching this because I thought I was pretty sharp...but....oh well. This film is well crafted and very intricate in the story. I really admire Kevin Bacon's (Footloose, Wil & Grace, Apollo 13, The River Wild) for his performance as the straight lace detective of the group of three boys who grew up with a very common episode that happened in their lives as kids. Sean Penn (I Am Sam, State of Grace, Thin Red Line) give an incredible performance as a father who has a tragedy happen to him and makes choices that affect everyone's life. He is scary in this film. Tim Robbins give a stellar performance the boy with the past who haunts his future and creates a situation that he can not control. He is a nut - with a twist...and the stunning performance by his wife played by -Marcia Gay Harden (Space Cowboys, Flubber) makes you feel even more creepy. Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix 1,2 & 3, Event Horizon) gives a great compliment to being Kevin bacons partner.
It is truly a mystery within a mystery. Set in today's world of CSI and crime solving Real TV environments - this puts a new twist on who you think did it. Beautifully photographed and stunning camera work make this a very intriguing mystery. Love to see this one again. You should too.
Rating:
Summary: Go see it.
Review: Hard to discuss without giving it away, but here's one example of what a beautiful movie this is. As the detective attempts to solve the crime, his estranged wife periodically calls him, but won't speak to him. She just calls, and listens. As he gradually unravels the crime(s), he tries saying different things to her, and her lips move silently as if she really WANTS to speak to him. At the end of the movie, he's figured out everything, and finally, he knows what to say to her, and she speaks. It's beautiful, haunting symbolism, and about 1% of the wonderful things this movie has to offer. Go see it.
Rating:
Summary: Tones of other stories, but well done!
Review: I went to this film expecting to see a western. No, it ain't that. There are films that are alike that are released within a year or two of each other. I think of "Always" by Spielberg and "Ghost" a number of years ago. Some of the pickier of critics found them to be the same story. I didn't. They had their similarities but were different enough that they were both enjoyable. This is similar to the film "Sleepers" which I saw several times a few years back. "Sleepers" was allegedly a true story and this story makes no such claim. In both, some young kids were accosted by adults while yound and the trauma affected them through their adult life. That's where the similarities end. As a number of critics have already outlined the story's plot, I won't do the same. The acting was superior. If I were to criticize anything, it might be that there was little transition between the early 60s and the present day. I only noticed that the cars were newer. (And I noticed that because I thought Eastwood had erred and missed a contemporary vehicle in that period! He hadn't.) But the story didn't romanticize the relationship between the characters, or the consequences of those relationships, particulary that one of them was dead. In fact, that was one of the best things of the way the story was structured. I wasn't sure whether the guy was guilty of that of which Jimmy (Sean Penn) has accused him until much later in the story. Contrary to another critic, I AM a Sean Penn fan. And he didn't let me down. Nor did any of the actors, male or female. If you're a fan of the series "The Wire," as I am, the Colonel on that series is one of the early culprits, one of those who abducted one of the kids at the beginning. That alone was worth it. And another color was added to the plot by Kevin Bacon's interesting relationship with his wife. Oh, and did anyone notice that Eastwood composed the music too? Frankly, I've found him to be a better director than actor. I now find he has talents I wouldn't have expected of him. Don't miss this one for its superior acting, it's engaging plot, just a well-done film. It even leads me to look forward to more Eastwood films!
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, wonderfully complex, and dark as sin
Review: This is in my opinion the apex of Clint Eastwood's career as a director. In a way, I believe the standard Clint Eastwood character has sometimes obscured the moral ambiguity at the heart of many of his films. In some, it becomes more obvious, as in UNFORGIVEN and TIGHTROPE, but usually the characters he plays misleadingly gives the films more moral clarity than exists. But with no roles appropriate for his age, this film is tremendously strengthened by his not appearing in the film. It is impossible to over praise the acting in this film. Many have opined that Sean Penn should win an Oscar for his performance, but I think a group Oscar by Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast would be more appropriate. No one does a bad job, but the performances by Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, and Marcia Gay Harden stand out. Each one of them brings a level of believability and pathos to his or her character, and while Penn is getting well deserved attention for his performance, I believe Robbins does just as well in his tormented, disturbed character. A couple of reviewers have suggested this isn't a mystery film, but that isn't quite right. It certainly isn't a whodunit, but it is very definitely about the mysteries of the human psyche, of the monsters that we sometimes become because of the horrors that afflict us. Tim Robbins's character mentions often werewolves and vampires, and what each has in common is that in each case they become monsters because of things that have happened to them against their will. So too he intimates that he is a bit of a monster because of the events recounted early in the film. I haven't read the novel upon which the film is based, but the plot bears some resemblance to the plots of the novels of Ross MacDonald, in which the causes for crimes in the present are often to be found in the past. Or, as Yeats put it in "Leda and the Swan," when Zeus rapes and impregnates Leda, who will give birth to Helen, he "engenders there/The broken wall, the burning roof and tower/And Agamemnon dead." So too, Dave's getting into the car and Jimmy and Sean's not getting into the care created the possibilities that unfolded in the course of this film. Unlike some of the reviewers who have complained about the ending, I think it is the ending that makes this film the minor masterpiece that it is. The crucial scene is the one with Laura Linney in the bedroom near the end explaining to Sean Penn what role he has to play. Without giving away any plot, I will just hint that that scene provides the key with which to understand everything touching the end of the film. This is a powerful and impressive film, and will represent one of the highpoints of the careers in all the principals involved.
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