Mystic River (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: As a huge fan of actors Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, I was very anxious to see "Mystic River." After viewing the film in the theatre, I am happy to say that I was definitely NOT disappointed.
"Mystic River" is a film of raw emotion, and magnificent acting. The film revolves around three former best friends (Jimmy, played by Penn, Davey, played by Robbins, and Sean, played by Bacon) forever scarred as children by one horrendous and unspeakable act at the hands of a sexual predator. As a victim of abuse myself, I strongly empathized with Robbins character. Years later another tragedy, involving Jimmy's daughter, draws these three together again. In one of the most powerful moments I have EVER seen in a film, Sean Penn's character unleashes so much emotion after learning of his daughter's death, I found myself overcome with my own tears. Stunning performances by Laura Linney, and Marcia Gay Harden contribute to the intense realism of the film.
These characters, are not perfect. They do not exude superhuman strength, or power. They are real people with flaws, and weaknesses.
There are no fancy special effects in this film, no big budget chase scenes. It is a simple film about real people struggling to deal with tragedy and come to terms with the past. It wrenches your heart, and brings you to tears. At the same time, it is also an effective murder mystery with a shocking and extremely emotional climax, straight out of a Greek tragedy.
"Mystic River," is a film of sheer brilliance at the hands of a seasoned film maker, and VERY talented actors. It has been 4 months since I saw this film and I still can't get it out of my head. If you do not feel anything after seeing this film, you are not human.

Rating:
Summary: Good!
Review: This is one flick that I am happy I saw. Although the story did seem to jump from one thing to another, everything else about the movie seemed fine. The acting was very good in this movie, esspecially Tim Robbins character. I hope that this DVD comes out soon so that I can watch again and maybe I'll understand the story a little bit better.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful Movie
Review: Mystic River is a very powerful movie with powerhouse performances by Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. Who both rightly deserved to win oscars. I think everyone should see this movie no one will be dissapointed

Rating:
Summary: One of the Top 10 Films of 2003
Review: I saw "Mystic River" in the theatre and i'm really excited that they're releasing a three disc set."Mystic River" is a great film about three childhood friends.Jimmy,Dave,and Sean who are stopped by a man in a car.Dave gets in the car and is sexually molested and comes home 4 days later.The incident destroys the friendship of the boys.Years later Jimmy's (Sean Penn) daughter is killed and the prime suspect of the crime is Dave (Tim Robbins).Sean (Kevin Bacon) and his partner (Laurence Fishburne)
are the head investigators of the crime.Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney give admirable performance with Harden nominated for the Best Supporting Actress category while Sean Penn and Tim Robbins won in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor category.
This is a brilliantly written film and one of the best films of 2003.A- for the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Simply oscar worthy...
Review: Alright before I start I have to make one thing perfectly clear, I have not read the book and I cannot comment on whether or not the book is any good, nor if the book is anything like the movie. However the movie is incredible in my opinion, Sean Penn delivers one of the best performances of his career and yet is STILL blown away in my humble opinion by Tim Robbins. Now I am going to dance around certain issues here to make sure I do not give away any twists and turns in the movie, and believe me there are quite a few. Penn does an amazing job as portraying a rough and tough guy whereas Tim Robbins comes across as a softer, little more gullible man. The movie starts off with a story from the past about the three men as boys and then pans to the present where the three men's (Penn, Robbins and Bacon) lives are intertwined once again through a very tragic circumstance. One though I should warn about is that this is not one of the feel-good movies of the year, although the story itself is amazing and Clint Eastwood in my opinion delivers his most stellar performance so far, I have to urge you not to see this movie if you are not in the mood for something heavy, and don't expect to be leaving the theater, or in the future, turning off your DVD player without actually feeling sad and feel like something heavy is weighing on you. A very powerful film that will have you talking about it for several days later.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing performances by the entire cast!
Review: I saw this movie shortly after reading the book. That is always tricky as one cannot help but compare the two. I was very impressed by the casting and performances, and the Oscar nominations and wins are very well deserved. The mood and setting were perfectly captured on film.
Of course, not every detail can be put in a movie, and I wondered whether those who hadn't read the book would have questions, for example, about Sean's relationship with his wife and why he was in that situation.
I strongly recommend this DVD to anyone who appreciates an excellent drama with solid acting.

Rating:
Summary: Just OK - not spectacular
Review: I was not all that impressed with this movie. The performances of the actors were great and Clint Eastwood did a superb job as the director. However, I was never able to envoke any real sympathy for Sean Penn's character. He just wasn't likeable. The movie's theme is dark and makes you think deeper than you would expect. It wasn't one I was excited about, wanted to buy on DVD or wanted to see again. I would have been OK with seeing it at our Tuesday night 50 cent movie theater, but not to pay $8 for. I just couldn't come up with any genuine feelings for any of the characters; they had too many flaws.

Rating:
Summary: Superior film.
Review: Mystic River is to me Clint Eastwood's masterpiece. As a crime/thriller/drama film, this is as good as it gets.
The work of screenplay writer Brian Helgeland is just as perfect here as it was when he adapted the book L.A. Confidential, and this is a great achievement, to write two astounding screenplays.
Eastwood's direction is flawless, and the cast, needless to say, is just perfect ensemble work; they all are a remarkable group of actors.
The film's mood is oppressive, tragic. The last scene of the film left me speechless.
THIS FILM IS POWERFUL! GO SEE IT NOW! THIS IS WHAT I CALL GOOD CINEMA!

Rating:
Summary: Realistic Viewer
Review: This movie sucked. It could not have been worst unless it had been Matrix's Revolutions. I watched this movie in breathless anticipation of the good part to come.It never happened.I figured out the "plot twist" half way thru the movie, an just sat around waiting for this snorefest to be over.
This horrible movie was not worth the eight dollars it cost me for the ticket.

Rating:
Summary: a stupendous display of filmography and acting
Review: I was truly amazed with this film when I saw it in theatres and have been anxiously awaiting its arrival on video for months now. Sean Penn gave a remarkable performance, as impressive as his usually are. I recommend 21 Grams to anyone else who enjoys his acting. Tim Robbins also did exceptionally well and Kevin Bacon gave an equally gripping performance.

I give the movie a full five stars.