Mystic River (2003)

Fantastic!

Absolutely the worst movie.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I could tell you Clint Eastwood adds sure-handed direction for this film, and while that is true, it doesn't actually tell you anything. What I can tell you is to watch the eyes. This is a story told by the eyes, and the subject matter couldn't have been approached any better.The plot is fantastically construed, but I believe a slight disclaimer is in order. This is a dark film. Don't come in with expectations to be cheered up after a rough Saturday night when Jimmy left you for hot Chris or whatever-- this isn't that film. And hey, a lot of the best films are very dark in nature. If you end up watching Mystic River and think to yourself, "Wow, that is such an awesome film!" then I also highly recommend the more recent Prisoners. That movie absolutely deserves a review, but not now.Anyways, we are introduced to the 3 principle characters-- Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon-- when they were kids and loved street hockey. Two "officers" come up to them and take Dave (Robbins) in their car. It's never shown but rather highly implied of what they do to poor Dave. Flash forward to their adult lives, and all three of them have issues. Robbins is still uneasy from the childhood experience, Bacon is a detective whose wife left without a word and calls frequently (without any words either), and Penn is an ex-con. Within the first 30 minutes, Penn's 19-year-old daughter is murdered, Bacon is assigned to the case, and Robbins becomes a suspect. It's a compelling setup with all the ingredients mixed in for a great mystery, and it achieves that but with added emotional punch as well.Anybody who says their heartbeat was normal after viewing this film is flat out lying. Penn is dynamic and on edge, Robbins is a very disturbed character whose own wife questions his sanity, and Bacon rounds it out as the sympathetic old friend. In other hands the film could have even turned sappy with all the crossing paths, but this movie is the exact opposite. It is intense in its calmness. All this combines with a score Eastwood did himself with help from his son and an orchestra.Mystic River. It's a pretty ambiguous title that fits perfectly. There's closure to the film, but so much is left open for interpretation to the audience. And that's what Christopher Nolan films and Lost in Translation, among others, do so well that become my favorite types of movies. Throughout Mystic River is well-developed, well-thought out scene after scene that doesn't want you to see it again the next day or even the next week, but in a year or so, you will be dragged back to the film with the eagerness and anticipation to understand the puzzle fully even if it's missing one piece. Perhaps I have not said enough about the film, or did I give just enough context to make you watch it? Who knows, I'll leave it up to you. You can find this review and dozens of others at gillipediamoviereviews.blogspot.com

One thing is certain, this film would not have passed muster under the Production Code of the 1930's and 40's. Not only does it show someone getting away with murder, but it also involves a lawful authority complicit in the knowledge that a former childhood friend did it. I thought this was a masterfully constructed story until it got to those final revelations. One might consider all the interconnected relationships between the various characters to be stretched beyond credibility, but while the story was taking place none of it seemed forced. The opening sequence with the three principals as young boys went a long way to explain the emotional pain Davey Boyle (Tim Robbins) went through his entire life. For his own wife (Marcia Gay Harden) to believe that Davey killed Jimmy Markum's (Sean Penn) daughter demonstrates how fragile their own relationship had become. What bothered me about the story were twofold. When Jimmy actually admits to his wife Annabeth (Laura Linney) that he killed Davey - first, I couldn't believe he did that, and second, her response was to make him feel better about it. No revulsion, no disgust, it was simply out of character to a normal human reaction for that kind of admission. The other problem was Sean Devine's (Kevin bacon) reaction as a police detective. One can only assume, because no clear motivation was offered, that Sean felt Jimmy had gone through enough with the death of his daughter, and at a time he was dealing with his own marital problems. But that really doesn't cut it. His gun-hand gesture to Jimmy at the community parade was really bizarre, I just don't know how to process that.So this may not have been a clear directorial win for Clint Eastwood, but it was a valiant try. Not being a fan of Penn or Robbins, I can appreciate the Oscar wins in their respective categories, I thought they were well deserved. I just would have hoped for a little more thought put into the final outcome to temper the crimes committed with a more appropriate lawful resolution. You don't need a Production Code to convince viewers that there was something off-kilter with the way things turned out.

The plot is twisted and implausible to the point where the movie becomes boring and disappointing. I find no trace of sanity or nobility, no beauty, no hint of redemption for any of the characters throughout a movie that unsuccessfully attempts to be profound and originally dramatic.But it's impossible to admire any of the characters, and the ones that perhaps may deserve compassion, are treated unjustly, disrespectfully and grotesquely. Indeed there is something repulsive and disquietingly grotesque behind the moral premises of the story. One perhaps could forgive the inadequacy of such amorality in a story where haphazardness looks plausible, natural, spontaneous and uncontrived. But in such an absurd and unbelievable story one can only conclude that the dramatist is sick, or perhaps just gullibly read too much of Nietzsche.

The film begins many years ago and shows three friends, Dave, Jimmy and Sean outside their homes in Boston. Some pedophiles arrive and pretend to be cops and they kidnap and rape Dave...who, fortunately, is able to eventually escape.Years pass and the three men are grown. Jimmy (Sean Penn) is a family man whose youngest is about to take her first communion. However, he and the family don't realize that his oldest has been brutally murdered. When he learns of this, he vows revenge.At about the same time, Dave (Tim Robbins) returns home very late. He's bloody and cut...and his story about attacking a mugger seems contrived. There also is a boyfriend of the dead girl...and he has some 'splaining to do. And, there are a couple detectives who are investigating all this and one of them is Sean (Kevin Bacon). What really did happen? Who really is at fault? And, will the police get to them before Jimmy and his thug friends?"Mystic River" is occasionally tough to watch, as it deals with child sexual abuse, murder and extreme violence. It's also quite grim. Because of this, you should consider all this before watching the film. This being said, it is a very good film and features some amazing acting...so if you're up to it, by all means give the film a look. I appreciate not only the acting but all the false leads and clues...and the viewer will not so easily piece it all together.