|
Advertisement |
Overall Rating
  Awesome: 39.11%
Worth A Look: 20.3%
Just Average: 20.79%
Pretty Crappy: 14.36%
Sucks: 5.45%
12 reviews, 130 user ratings
|
|
| Mystic River |
by Slyder
"A bit uneven but nevertheless unforgettable"
|
Never take Clint Eastwood for granted, especially Eastwood the director. Everyone thought that Eastwood was washed out after his last four films (though Space Cowboys was quite an entertaining bash) and then he suddenly bursts out in 2003 with this powerful and mysterious drama about the faults of human nature. Despite a few wrinkles here ant there, Mystic River is an impressive piece of work superbly acted and well-crafted and possibly Eastwood’s best film since Unforgiven.Set in Boston, Massachusetts, three childhood friends Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) and Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins) were practically wrenched apart when two pedophiles passing as cops kidnapped Dave and it wasn’t until 4 days later that Dave could escape his hell and he would never be the same after that. 25 years later all three have grown up and gone on their respective lives, until one night that Dave comes home to his wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) covered up in someone else’s blood. The following morning Jimmy’s oldest daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) ends up dead in an abandoned park; all indications seem that she was brutally murdered. Sean, now a cop, along with his partner Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne) must face the grueling task of finding those responsible before Jimmy takes the law into his own hands, but prejudices, lies, taking things for granted and Dave’s bizarre behavior will only make things worse than what they are now.
You know, I was actually stunned by the realism and in certain ways about the moral values and the truths of human nature that this film throws at you in such ways that I had to watch the film like 3 times to actually understand it. Screenwriter Brian Helgeland almost redeems himself with this almost-well-written screenplay after writing a lot of shit ever since the masterful LA Confidential and Eastwood’s direction is hard-hitting and balanced capturing a dark and moody atmosphere along with cinematographer Tom Stern of the low Boston neighborhood. The film has a couple of flaws since the characters while emotionally tortured they’re a bit underdeveloped since not much background is given about what happened to them in that 25-year time gap and how they became what they are now ever since that tragic day when Dave was forced in that car hence their true motivations are not rooted out well. The ending is a bit two ambiguous and uneven and may not sit well with a lot of people, but then again, this film is about the way things are not the way things want them to be and the way how things are is not a very pleasant one.
All characters are fallible human beings and are not likeable, and that’s the point since everyone has its faults and prejudices and the habit of assuming things that in the end aren’t what they are, and that is one of the two biggest strengths in the film, that us human beings will tend to fuck up in situations that could’ve been easily avoided had we taken into account all the facts, and we will regret it and pay for it sooner or later; all a matter of decisions, like getting into that car instead of running away. All this is present in each one of the characters which makes it a showcase to the film’s other and biggest strength which is some of the finest performances of the year, notably Sean Penn as the tortured and regretful Jimmy, Tim Robbins as the tortured and emotionally scarred Dave, both of these guys deservedly won their Oscars, since they’re both unforgettable and impressive (especially Robbins and his Vampire-like impersonation of Dave which adds a mysterious yet terrifying feel to his character). A level below but still impressive are Kevin Bacon’s less fallible but nevertheless reeling Sean, Marcia Gay Harden as Dave’s terrified but ultimately traitorous and stupid wife Celeste, and Laura Linney’s scathing and treacherous Annabeth whom is Jimmy’s wife. On a side note, Harden and Linney have never looked any hotter than what they look here.In the end, this film is quite an emotional and unforgettable experience, ultimately tragic but well worth seeing. Clint Eastwood once again proves that he still has what it takes to craft a great film as this one, and even though it falls a bit short of being a masterpiece, it remains one of Eastwood’s best, and hopefully this time his career will get back on track once more. 4.5-5
link directly to this review at http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com/review.php?movie=8240&reviewer=235
originally posted: 11/15/04 16:40:26
![[printer]](/images/icon/printer.gif) printer-friendly format
|
This film is available for download or online viewing at CinemaNow.com For more in the CinemaNow.com series, click here.
|
 |
USA
08-Oct-2003 (R)
DVD: 08-Jun-2004
UK
N/A
Australia
20-Nov-2003
|
|
Articles 
subscribe to this feed![[AllPosters.com]](/images/icon/ap.gif){kind=icon}
