Rating: 
Summary: Dark "River" is an amazing film!
Review: Mystic River is an amazing achievement in filmaking by director Clint Eastwood and its amazing cast. The film revolves around three childhod friends(Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon) and two horrible incidents, one in their childhood and one in their adulthood, that forever link them and change them. Sean Penn gives an excellent performance, best of his career, as an ex-con whose daughter dies at the beginning of the film. The scene where he realizes his daughter is dead is amazing and heartwrenching. Tim Robbins also gives a career best performance as a man trapped in a past he can't forget and his performance is the most haunting of the three main complex characters. Kevin Bacon is a homicide detective and does a great job showing the pain his character feels over his wife leaving him and his inability to communicate and share his feelings make his charcter very interesting. Bacon also delivers a career best performance. Laurence Fishburne also does a great job as Bacon's partner, a man who wants to solve the murder and feels like Bacon's character is too close to the case. Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden also have excellent performances as the wives of Penn and Robbins, and they both will be nominated at Oscar time. Clint Eastwood does an amazing job as director, with the deliberately slow pace and dark settings.This film will be one of the five films up for best picture at the end of the year and it should be. What an amazing film!
Rating:
Summary: Your Father's Sins
Review: The Mystic River near downtown Boston is a repository of many secrets, many unfulfilled dreams and an untold number of heartaches and repudiations. It is the place where young people go to neck, where college kids go to smoke dope and drink beer and where despondent adults go to do away with themselves. It is in the Mystic River area that Clint Eastwood has chosen to play out his story of sin, treachery, death, deceit, revenge and murder.
In many ways this film has close social ties to the Godfather movies: it is a world in which Family protects it's own and doesn't go outside the bounds of the family to right a wrong, a world in which the Police are avoided and certainly not trusted. In this case these people don't have the clout of the Corleones but they certainly have more than their share of familial pride and loyalty.
Jimmy and Annabeth Markum (Sean Penn and Laura Linney), Dave and Celeste Boyle (Tim Robbins and Marcia Gay Harden) and Sean (Kevin Bacon): all from solid, Irish immigrant families, all friends from childhood, all estranged for years as the movie begins, make up the central characters of this story.
The penultimate event, the event that colors the entire film comes in the first 15 minutes as Dave as a young man, is abducted by two men posing as policeman, who hide him away, lock him up and repeatedly abuse him. It is the most harrowing, disturbing 15 minutes of film in recent memory.
Sean Penn seems to be getting all the good reviews for his work here and his performance is heartbreaking yet bold and strong: a man dealing with life as best as he can and in the only way that he can. But I think it is Tim Robbins' performance as Dave Boyle, a man haunted and laid to waste by his past, who does the best work. Robbins' Boyle is physically, socially and mentally impaired yet he manages to remind us over and over again throughout the film that there is a real man underneath all that psychological baggage.
Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden play diametrically opposed characters: Linney as Annabeth is strong, proud to be married to Jimmy and relishes his, and by nature of her being his wife, her power. The last scene between these two is both boldly and shamelessly sexual and it recalls the early scenes between Desdemona and Othello in "Othello." Harden as Celeste is weak, shamed by her husband Dave and even she finds consolation in confessing secrets to Jimmy.
"Mystic River" simultaneously works on two levels: as a police thriller and as a social and psychological case study of how the past can never be shaken, how the past is always sending out knives that re-open wounds in our present lives. It's about the sins of the fathers visiting themselves upon the sons. It's an ancient story that Eastwood has made vital , compassionate , human and contemporary.
Rating:
Summary: The past has no hold on the future . . . . not.
Review: Erwin Rommel was supposed to have made a similar comment to one of his Lieutenants while he was preparing the defenses at Normandy in April of 1944. Of course we know this is not true. It wasn't true for General Rommel any more so than it was or Sean, Jimmy and Davey when at about the age of 12, Davey is kidnapped by 2 pedophiles off the apartment bordered avenue where the three friends are playing 'street hockey' where they lived in south Boston.There's a remarkable scene at the end of the movie when Sean Devine, a State Police Detective, asks Jimmy Markham if he's seen Davey? Jimmy turns to Sean and says "I haven't seen Davey for 25 years, since he disappeared in that car." This is a dark movie from a dark book by Dennis Lehane of the Patrick and Angie series. The book was a painful look at people, for the most part normal people or at least people we are familiar with, traumatized by an event so miniscule that it nearly goes unreported with no room on the agenda of the Rathers and the Brokaws, but sufficient enough to last a lifetime for the three boy-men. In the middle of the movie Sean Penn, who is brilliant, explains how he got together wth the mother of his now murdered daughter, Katie. The mother was apparently well above the social strata of the then 19 year old Jimmy. Penn says, "I get into that car when we're kids, I'd never have the juice to ask her out." Clint Eastwood does an extraordinary job just following the book. It is scary and haunting with wounded has beens acting heroic and heroes making awful mistakes. Everyone knows their part, Laurence Fisburne as Kevin Bacon''s Sergeant is excellent, Tim Robbins as the adult Dave Boyle's superior performance nearly won him a best supporting; and Sean Penn is positively the best I've ever seen. The endings remain the same; perhaps there is more to the final scenes in the book as Lehane wrote it, yet Eastwood does a remarkable job in juxtaposing one scene against another. I would be astonished if after 10 years, this didn't still rank as one of the best movies of the decade. A great, haunting, disturbing, memorable, critically acclaimed movie. Larry Scantlebury. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Mystic River Runs Through Our Minds, Again and Again
Review: Dennis Lehane wrote the book and Clint Eastwood directed the movie. It is rare that a movie is equal to the book, but in this case they are both superb works of art. Three young boys friends and playmates grow up in Southie,a neighborhood in Boston. On a summer's day, Jimmy, (Sean Penn) and Sean (Kevin Bacon) have marked their names in fresh cement, and Davey (Tim Robbins) is just about to write his name when a car drives up. A man who purports to be a detective tells them they have broken the law and takes Davey with him to tell his mom. Davey goes missing and turns up several days later after running away, a victim of sexual abduction. The friendship is no more with Davey, and he has a difficult adolescence. Years later, these three men unite after the murder of Jimmy's teenage daughter. Each man has had his tribulations. Jimmy has spent time in prison, and it appears that he remains the thug as depicted. Sean Penn gives the performance of his life. Sean became the character, Jimmy. I was
unable to take my eyes from him- he is the center of the movie- a rough, tumbled man with passion and love for his family. Sean, Kevin Bacon, has become a detective in the Massachusetts State Police. His life has fallen apart- his wife has left him and calls frequently but won't talk- what is that all about? Sean is an honest detective, an oxymoron except in his case. And Davey, Tim Robbins is rambling through life with a wife, Marcia Gay Harden and young son. Davey's wife, Celeste has a fear that Davey is responsible for the death of Jimmy's daughter. The lives of all three men and all those who surround them are intertwined in a complex maze. Did Davey murder Jimmy's daughter? Who and how is the young man who was going to leave town with Jimmy's daughter, involved with these people? Will Sean and his wife resolve their communication difficulties? This remarkable movie is a culmination of Clint Eastwood's directorial abilities. The praise that has been heaped is well deserved. Sean Penn will most certainly obtain an Oscar nomination for his part in this movie-he became the movie. The movie is indeed dark, but the message is clear. A movie well worth your time.`
Rating:
Summary: A stunning film based on a tragic novel.
Review: Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Dennis Lehane's wrenching best-seller, "Mystic River," is a remarkable achievement. Having read the book shortly before seeing the movie, I was impressed with Eastwood's faithfulness to the letter and spirit of Lehane's story. Sean Penn plays Jimmy Markham (Marcus in the book), a small time hood who did a stint in prison almost two decades earlier. Jimmy now owns a grocery store, is a loving family man, and seems to have given up his criminal ways. As a child, Jimmy was a close friend of Sean Devine, who grew up to become a homicide detective, and Dave Boyle, played by the wonderful Tim Robbins. Boyle endured a terrible trauma as a child, and he is tortured by horrifying thoughts that he can never escape. When Jimmy's nineteen-year-old daughter, Katie, is found brutally murdered, Sean investigates with his partner, played by Laurence Fishburne, and the lives of the three old friends intersect once again. The stellar cast of "Mystic River" is amazingly effective. Each actor completely inhabits his or her character. Sean Penn's performance is brutal and heart-rending, and Tim Robbins convincingly plays a man on the brink of madness. Supporting these fine actors are Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden, as Jimmy's and Dave's wives. Eastwood wisely shot his film on the streets of Boston, and Tom Stern's atmospheric and skillful cinematography contribute to the film's realistic and dramatic look. "Mystic River" is a powerful drama about how desperate people react when they are under tremendous emotional pressure. This mythic tragedy proves Faulkner's dictum, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." The mistakes we make and the injuries that we suffer are always with us in one way or another. Kudos to Eastwood and his fine cast and crew on making an exceptional film.
Rating: 
Summary: A big cast that seems lost
Review: How do you sell a movie that has a mediocre storyline? Add every big name you can, then highlight the fact that Clint Eastwood directed it. Excuse me, but when was Clint Eastwood considered an important film-maker? News to me. At best, he's an okay actor. Mystic River has received so many mixed reviews that it's hard to know what to think. Best advice is to watch it for yourself, like I did, then make up your own mind. Here goes: Sean Penn is a current Hollywood favourite. He's a fine actor even if he acts the same way in all his films. But I felt his character was lost in this film, perhaps due to the lack of character development. Tim Robbins character was more clearly defined, and I enjoyed his performance more. Other big names seemed to have very little purpose in the film (Bacon, Fishbourne) It's far from the intriguing storyline that the film has been marketed as, and does not deserve the amount of nominations it received.
Rating: 
Summary: ONE MESSAGE: PLEASE MR. EASTWOOD, STOP MAKING MOVIES!!!
Review: Oh-my-god I just came out of the theatre, and thought: Such a great cast for such a bad movie. That's very sad. Not only the staging was bad, but also the music was just terrible. And guess what: I was wondering which composer makes such a bad soundtrack, and discovered the composer in the end credits: CLINT EASTWOOD did the soundtrack. Old man, please leave the film sets of this planet. A quite impressing line-up of actors worked for you not because you are good, but because you are Clint Eastwood. And what's up with the ending? Good message it gives to the people. To kill a killer, no matter what, is ok, as long this person is 'out of the normal order'. There were so many bad twists and turns in this movie, I don't know where to start. And just a good tip by an advanced film student: Look at the bad staging. The actors not only act as if they don't really know what the story is all about, a lot of the so-called 'matching shots' don't match at all. For example, there is a scene where Sean Penn is looking to the ground when he is listening to someone, and in the next shot (the same time!) is watching the person straight in the eyes. And then we switch back to the other camera position, and his head is down to the ground again! So what? Please tell me what is good in the this movie except the unchallenged actors and the more-or-less interesting film-noir photography. I did't find something else.
Rating:
Summary: Better than I expected
Review: Most movies I watch and love in theatres are adventures and comedies. Having seen Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King, it became my favorite for Best Picture. After the Academy Awards I saw Mystic River and realized that the Academy Board must have had a tough decision between Mystic River And Return of the King. Clint Eastwood is a masterful director, and the cast is unmatched. Each character has a distinct set of emotions and reactions to everything that happens. The fact that the biggest question of the movie isn't answered until 5 minutes before it ends meant that the entire movie was always growing in intensity. Watch it for the academy award performances of Seann Penn and Tim Robbins, and stay for Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, and the rest of the cast. One of the years top movies, and easily worthy of being deemed a contemporary classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Mystic River (2003)
Review: Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney.
Running Time: 125 minutes.
Rated R for violence and language. "Mystic River" delves into the unspeakable world of a boyhood friendship secret, in which three young boys were confronted by a mysterious, dark man who proceeds to kidnap one of the children and torture him for days. As the story moves to present day Boston, the audience learns that the three boys have moved on with their lives, working in different professions and starting families, but the undying enigma of their past haunts their every move. Sean Penn stars as a local crook-turned-fairly successful businessman who tragically loses his teenage daughter when she is found murdered near a bar. The initial clues lead to his molested childhood friend (played brilliantly by the creepy Tim Robbins), who was out late that night and has begun to act extremely strange around his wife and friends. Hot on the murder case is the third of the youth trio, a slick officer (Kevin Bacon) who has separated from his wife and searching for more than just answers to a crime. As Penn uses the underground to hopefully find the killer and put his despair to rest, Bacon's character must interrogate his disturbed long-time friend, in hopes that he really is not the vicious killer. Clint Eastwood's direction is articulate and scrupulous, making "Mystic River" one of the more strikingly effective films of the year. The first two-thirds of the film are superb, with the Oscar-winning Penn (in the role that he was born to play) morphing from a father full of anguish, into an unwavering maniac in seek of the truth. The ending is not a disappointment, but certainly unexpected and unusual-perhaps leaving a bad taste in some mouths. "Mystic River" is a taut, intense film that will certain strike with its excellent cast and direction, but the slightly uneven adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel may leave some wanting more.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, a Classic film. No Doubt about it.
Review: This was the best movie of 2003. I do feel that Lord of the Rings was very good also, but this movie should have won best picture and best screenplay (adaptation). Lord of the Rings will be classic entertainment and will be to my kids what Star Wars was for me. However, this will be considered a classic work of art in cinema. Eastwood is right on the mark with this movie. The characters are devious and wonderful, tragic and beautiful. While the story is quite depressing and may not be everyone's cup of tea, you still cannot deny the quality of this film.
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