Rating: 
Summary: Go ahead...mess my day
Review: This movie was a total disgrace. I know the majority of the story was taken straight from David Lehane's novel, but the fact that the amateurish performances of Sean Penn and Tim Robbins actually won Academy Awards is laughable. Penn turned in a nuanced, heartfelt performance in 21 Grams, but was honored for this botched attempt at seriousness. And Bill Murray, who gave an award-worth performance, has to settle for a Golden Globe.
Even worse was Robbins, who gave THE WORST performance of all those nominated for Academy Awards, yet won because Hollywood is populated by politically-influenced morons.
Think about it: Robbins was playing a man damaged by childhood sexual abuse. He started out making the most of his damaged character -- unsure of whether to revel in telling his son about his high school athletic achievements or to keep his younger years to himself lest his son find out about the men who raped him.
Suddenly, the daughter of his childhood friend (Penn) is killed. Robbins' character is suspected because he comes home bloody, but with a poor explanation.
His other childhood friend (Kevin Bacon) is a cop, who, with his partner (Laurence Fishburne), is investigating the murder. Somehow, in the course of the movie, Robbins' character goes from pathetic man-child to master-criminal in minutes.
Bacon and Fishburne put him in an interogation room, and the man who was afraid of his own shadow minutes earlier suddenly knows hos to take advantage of "good cop, bad cop," and how to formulate an alibi out of the fact that someone has stolen his car.
I know these problems are at heaert the responsibility of the screenwriter and director, but Robbins, as a screenwriter and director himself, should be ashamed of taking an award for such an inconsistent character -- especially when actors such as Benicio Del Toro and Djimon Hounsou were nominated for far better performances and others such as Sean Astin were denied nominations for REAL acting.
The only real mystery abour Mystic River is how is won ANY awards.
Rating: 
Summary: Novel lovers, fear not
Review: I just saw this film with three people who had not read the book, which I have read. We were all mesmerized. For those who have read the book, and thus know the outcome of the mystery, the story's tragic dimensions are even more striking. But those who watch it knowing nothing, it is a gripping, powerful who-dunit that goes far deeper into the psyches of the characters than almost any other mystery you can think of. I have to give Helgeland and Eastwood tremendous credit for finding graceful ways to deposit the bits and pieces of exposition that are essential to fully appreciating the story. There are a lot of facts you learn about each character, and while some things are necessarily left out (most crucially, the plot line having to do with Katie's previous boyfriend, which is one of the reasons she's so determined to leave town), the film's creators find a way to compress the information and action without destroying the underlying logic of the story, or allowing it to become too talky. As I write, Sean Penn was just awarded the Oscar for best actor--it is entirely deserved. As good as he's been in films ranging from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," to "Dead Man Walking," this movie is his personal best. Tim Robbins, another winner, is perhaps even slightly better, and more surprising. Too bad there wasn't room for another award for Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden or Laurence Fishburne, all of whom do great work. The more obscure character actors who play the Savage brothers are incredibly believable. Laura Linney's part probably suffers from too little screen time--another area where the creators had to make cuts they probably would've rather avoided, because the character Linney plays (Sean Penn's wife) is one of the most surprising in the book. The ultimate star of this movie, however, is the great Clint Eastwood. I cannot imagine someone doing a better job of bringing together an ensemble like this to inhabit such a realistically-portrayed world. This movie is a classic, and an unforgettable experience.
Rating: 
Summary: a flawed, but excellent character-driven story
Review: Having watched the film about 3 or 4 months ago, I distinctly remember I felt a bit cheated; the story drags near the end, and it's conclusion is unsatisfactory, but at the same time, I though Sean Penn's performance was a shoo-in for the Oscar. That I was right is proof that you should always go with your gut instinct; like "Unforgiven", Eastwood has steered a fabulous ensemble cast into film legend, and I doubt with the sheer talent that was poured into this movie, it would have been possible to go wrong. Tim Robbins is equally good; his silent, internal torture is no less effective than Penn's histrionics and brooding menace. Marcia Gay Harnden is also good, although her screen time is limited. In the end, you'll forgive the loose ending based on the sheer strength of the movie's performances. For similarly excellent character-pieces, check out Sidney Lumet's "Q & A", David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross", and of course, Frank Darabont's immortal "The Shawshank Redemption".
Rating:
Summary: Moving and Powerful film!!
Review: Mystic River is a film set in Boston that tells the story of three childhood friends Jimmy Marcus ( Sean Penn), Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), and Sean Devine ( Kevin Bacon). As time passes the three friends drift apart, but are unexpectedly reunited after Jimmy's daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum)is murdered. Sean is now a police detective and is assigned to head the investigation along with his partner Whitey Powers ( Laurence Fishburne). The main suspect in the murder is Jimmy and Shawn's friend Dave, because he came home the night of the murder covered in blood spinning a half baked story about being attacked by mugger. However, as the film progresses, the question of Dave's guilt comes more and more into question. Now it is up to Shawn to find the murderer and to keep Jimmy from gaining revenge for his daughter's death. In my opinion, Mystic River is the best film of 2003. I was literally blown away at how good this film turned out to be. Clint Eastwood shows once again that he is an amazing director. Mystic River is definately his best film since Unforgiven. The reason Mystic River is so great, is because the mystery of the killer is extremely well done. Tim Robbins did an excellent job as Dave and deserved his academy award for best supporting actor. His actions throughout the film are extremely questionable, but you are never quite sure if he is the killer. When the killer is finally revealed, it will shock you. Sean Penn gave one of the best performances I have seen in a while. His character Jimmy is a hardened ex-con who is attempting to lead an honest life. But the murder of his daughter pushes him towards his old lifestyle. Penn's performance was filled with emotion and intensity. The scene where he learns about his daughter's death will blow you away. Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney are all great in their roles as well. Mystic River is a well thought out and emotional murder mystery. The entire cast is phenomenal, and the ending is extremely satisfying. It is a shame that Mystic River did not beat Return of the King for best picture, because even though Return of the King was a good movie, I personally thought that Mystic River was a better film. A solid 5 stars...
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: I'm not going to be half-hearted about it. For my money, "Mystic River" is as close to a perfect movie as practically any Hollywood film I've ever seen. Not only is it based on a novel - by Dennis Lehane - that already seems to have considerable depth, it's also superbly adapted by Brian Hegeland with a screenplay that seems to add to the complexity, and it's flawlessly directed by Clint Eastwood. The film, set in blue collar Boston, opens with three boys playing street hockey and then deciding to scribble their names in some wet cement. They are seen by two men who claim to be plainclothes cops. One of the boys, Dave, is ordered into their car while the others watch. The men abduct him, lock him in a cellar and sexually abuse him for four days. He escapes but he never fully recovers. Nor do his friends Sean and Jimmy. Their guilt over standing by as he was taken away stays with them as adults. The boys grow up. Jimmy as an adult is played by Sean Penn. He's an ex-con who has settled down to run a local store. He has a nineteen year old daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) from a first marriage than ended with his wife's death while he was doing time. He also has two younger daughters from a second marriage Annabeth (Laura Linney). Katie leaves one night to spend the night with her friends. She is found murdered the next day. Sean (Kevin Bacon), long estranged from his other two childhood friends, is the detective assigned to the case - with partner Whitey (Laurence Fishburne). Dave (Tim Robbins) becomes a prime suspect. He's still visibly damaged by his past, although now married and a father. He came home on the night of Katie's death with his clothes covered in blood, a fact that his wife, Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) keeps to herself for as long as she can, finally revealing it with tragic results. I can't say much more about the story, because I don't want to give too much away. I'm so enthusiastic about this movie that my review should really consist of the words, "See this film" repeated over and over like a mantra. As a director, Eastwood veers between superbly assured films and other ones that don't really quite work. I liked "The Unforgiven", the improving adaptation of "Bridges of Madison County", "True Crime" and "Bird. I was much less keen on "Blood Work" and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Suffice it to say that he has never been better than in his direction of "Mystic River". Tom Stern's cinematography keeps things looking gritty and down to earth, often leaving much of the screen in darkness. The editing by Joel Cox, particularly at the beginning, knows exactly when to cut away from things , when to leave a pause for breathing space or reflection. Some might find "Mystic River" gets off to a slightly slow start. Don't concentrate on the story. Watch the characters. And watch the performances that Eastwood has coaxed from everyone. Every single actor inhabits his or her part. And characters that might at first seem to be minor are ultimately used to devastating effect. As a crime movie, as a study of three wounded men, as a meditation on themes of responsibility and guilt, "Mystic River" is a success on many levels. Don't miss it under any circumstances.
Rating:
Summary: Deep Dramtic Film
Review: I attended a screening where Clint Eastwood spoke after the film. He is an outstanding director, who really knows how to tell a dramatic story.The cinemataphy is amazing in this film as well. Tim Robbins is outstanding in his role as a man who was abused in his childhood. The circumstances are sad and disturbing, but the story is very well told. Sean Penn is just amazing, and gives the performace of a lifetime.
If you want to see a movie that combines superior acting skils, with wonderful direction, and a dramatic storyline, this is the film to see.
Rating:
Summary: sean vs sean
Review: I loved this film, when Sean Penn tries to get to his daughters body at the crime scene and the gang of cops try to hold him back Sean Patrick Doherty is great as he holds back mr. Penn,I think the oscar should go to that sean!
Rating:
Summary: Deeply Disturbing Psychological Murder Mystery
Review: Mystic River is not what I thought it would be ... yet, the film is current and contemporary ... and fascinating ... in a disturbing sort of way. It is based on events that are all too common in modern times and boldly stated in the headlines of newspapers in large cities: a murder victim, a 19 year old female is found dead in a park. This film grabs the psyche of the audience and shakes it vigorously to feel and experience a wide range of emotions. The film gradually unfolds the psychological impact of this crime on relatives and friends in the working class neighborhood where it occured. With subtlety, slowly ... the viewer is given details about the lives of various suspects and the backgrounds of possible suspects, who could have done the deed or had some motive based on the past. The film explores family loyalties and strained friendships which arise from suspicions and doubts. Katie, the victim, and her boyfriend, were planning to meet secretly, against her father's wishes. In the beginning of the film, we learn her father had a grudge against the young man, for reasons unknown but which are revealed toward the end of the film. The audience is introduced to three of the main characters, Jimmy, Sean and Dave, when they were about 6 or 7 years old, playing field hockey in the streets in the 1970s. A terrible personal tragedy occurs to one of the boys, who is taken away by two men in an unmarked car. Initially, the youngsters were reprimanded by the men for writing their names in freshly poured cement. Afterwards, one of them, Dave is forced into the car by what seems like an undercover policeman who tells Dave he will be driven home. One of the saddest scenes in the film is Dave's tear-stained face as he looks at his friends from out of the back window when he is driven away. In several film clips we discover, the boy was taken to a cellar and the intimation is that unspeakable acts were performed on him by the adult men. Fortunately, the viewer is spared the details but the implication is there. Dave manages to escape ... The next scene occurs when Dave is an adult, playing baseball with his son. Dave is slightly slow and "different" ... As his character is revealed in the movie, he shows signs of being negatively affected by the unspeakable event which occured to him in the past. Eventually his wife becomes suspicious of Dave for the possible murder of Katie, but she knows nothing of Dave's past abuse. As adults, the three friends grew apart and went on totally separate pathways in life: Jimmy, became a corner grocery story owner with crimnal connections but he appears to have gone straight. He was in prison for a couple of years in the past for theft. Sean, became a criminal investigator and detective. The film explores the depth of passion that Jimmy experiences due to the murder of his daughter. With revenge as his goal, Jimmy has two cousins, thugs, investigate and question everyone who saw or knew anything about Katie's activities the night of her disappearance. Eventually, the police investigators narrow down the murder suspects to two people, Dave and Katie's boyfriend, Brendan. It turns out, on the night of the crime, Dave had arrived home with bloody hands and a deep cut on one of his hands, although the police know nothing about this because his wife provided him an alibi. However, the police find inconsistentcies in his responses to how he sustained the injury noting, both he and his wife are exhibiting peculiar behaviors, as if they were guilty or hiding something. Part of the mystery of this film revolves around the abuse that Dave experienced as a child and the suspicion that it created some potential psychological damage to him from which he did not recover. The other mystery pertains to the missing father of Katie's boyfriend who was involved in a crime. The boyfriend's dad mysteriously disappeared but it is never quite clear whether he is alive or not. The complex lives and relationships of the main characters in this film create unusual depths which are plumbed in unsuspecting ways as the film draws to a close. While the film was not what I expected, my appreciation grew for the subject matter as suspense built and as subtle details, provided throughout the film, came together and made sense. At the end, there remain many unsettled questions although the murderer is identified and captured. The viewer is left feeling that something very sinister still remains unsolved -- it is hanging in the air ... like at the end of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Besides the contemporary subject matter, this film has enormous appeal due to the wide range of emotional reactons expressed by its most powerful actor, Sean Penn. His performance was deeply intense and highly charged with emotion throughout the film -- totally appropriate to the situations. I can only compare him to Al Pacino and Dustin Hoffman at their finest moments. The next most impressive actor was Tim Robbins' portrayal of the psychologically disturbed Dave. He provided just the right facial expressions and body language to appear creepy and suspicious at times. Marsha Gay Harden, who played Dave's wife Celeste, is the next in line for impressive performance. Her portrayal of vulnerability and betrayal were superb. Both Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne displayed fine qualities in their respective portrayal of criminal investigators but their performances fell within the realm of expectation, othing special in my estimation. The other characters by their very nature provided a wider range of development for the respective actors and actresses who played them. Overall, this film is highly recommended if the viewer is willing to feel strong conflicting emotions and able to tolerate disturbing images required for the plot and storyline.
Rating:
Summary: Great film about grief, and vengeance.
Review: Mystic River is perhaps Clint Eastwoods finest movie next to Unforgiving. An unrelenting look in to childhood, and penance that not only disturbs but liberates as well. Kudos to Sean Peen for another great performance, and to Eastwoods dedication to the original novel.
Rating:
Summary: THOUGHT PROVOKING, AMAZING FILM: OSCAR DESERVING
Review: This was truly an incredible film. All the hype is well deserved. The cast was great and the story has so many textured layers it is impossible to focus on one aspect and do the film justice. As boys, Penn, Robbins and Bacon are approached by two men in a car. Robbins' character is taken away and molested for days. In the present, Penn's daughter is murdered. Bacon is one of the detectives investigating the murder, and suspicion is eventually leveled against Robbins. How Eastwood managed to focus on so many characters and give them all some meat is a story in itself. The consequences of the crime committed against Robbins' boyhood character reaches to present day and, unfortunately, leads to Penn killing Robbins under the mistaken assumption that Robbins killed Penn's daughter. So tragic. Very rarely does a film make you feel something and provoke so many emotions. Everyone nominated for an Oscar for this film deserves it. Robbins was the standout in my opinion. See this movie if you like to think.
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