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From:Sean Penn , Tim Robbins , Kevin Bacon , Emmy Rossum , Laura Linney , Warner Brothers , Clint Eastwood , Warner Home Video ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#5068 |
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1 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
 Over-hyped., 2008-04-25
Mystic River directed by Clint Eastwood is very unsettling and difficult film to watch. The beginning is tragic and the rest of the movie is a bit slow and one-dimensional. This is not Eastwood's best film, but the acting is superb thanks to Sean Penn. The performance that surprised me the most was Tim Robbins, he never stood out in his movies but this one he does and it's amazing. This film is a mixed bag, decide for yourself.
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
 WOUNDS UNHEALED, 2008-03-15
I wasn't sure what to expect with MYSTIC RIVER. I know that Clint Eastwood is a highly underrated director. I know that the stars were all part of a generation of actors known for the quality of their work. But something about this movie never made me want to rush to see it. I'm glad that I finally got to it.
The film opens with three young friends playing on the street, scraping their names in fresh cement. A police detective gives the kids a hard time for what they are doing and takes the one who doesn't live in the nearby houses home. The truth though is that this is not a policeman and he doesn't take him home. Rather young Dave Boyle is abducted by two pedophiles that he escapes from later.
The movie then jumps forward to present day where one of those youngsters now grown, Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) owns his own market and watches as his daughter goes out for the night before his other daughters first communion. It is the last time he will see her alive. The next day she is found, murdered.
This sets about a chain of events and a reunion of sorts for the boyhood pals. The third member of the three is Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) who is now a detective for the State Police. And the murder falls under his jurisdiction.
Young Dave has grown (Tim Robbins) and is still haunted by the experiences of his past. And the night that Jimmy's daughter was murdered Dave saw her and also came home covered in someone else's blood. Putting these items together, Dave's wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) begins to wonder about her husband. He claims to have been mugged and to have beaten the mugger to death. But no newspaper articles make her doubt his story.
The main portion of the movie moves across the stories of the individuals involved. Jimmy wants vengeance and will do anything to find and kill the person responsible for his daughter's murder. Dave grapples with the demons of his past. And Sean just wants to believe that his friends can't be involved in the murder as he searches for the real killer. Each becomes a piece of the puzzle, the answer of which is not revealed until films end. But by then, the world is turned upside down and facts are misplaced.
While some might have thought this was a simple murder mystery, a whodunit put together by Eastwood, it is much deeper than that. It is a look into the psyche of three very different people who grew up together, who were affected by their past. The inner struggles of all three are different, but all tied into their past as well. And this makes for a drama unlike any mystery could hold.
Perhaps the biggest thing that this film offers is a ton of outstanding performances that will be hard to match in any current film. An assembly of talent such as this is rare in today's films. Most notable is Sean Penn as the father in turmoil. All accolades he received were well deserved.
Make a point of renting this one. You won't be disappointed. And the discovery of just who the killer is, whether it is Dave or perhaps Jimmy's daughter's boyfriend or someone else, makes for a fitting together of clues that mold well. Give this one a watch.
16 of 17 customers found the following review helpful:
For my money, Clint Eastwood's gave a crowning achievement as a director,, 2008-03-11
Again, I haven't read the book however the Movie does it all. I am sure there are things we all wish to forget. Moments in time in which our lives and the lives of others are altered by one singular movement, one phrase, or that one hockey shot that was just out of reach. Nothing is more true when it comes to the lives of Jimmy (Sean Penn), Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Dave (Tim Robbins). Mystic River is an emotional and amazing film about the reconciliation of three friends and their wives by the tragic murder of Jimmy's eldest daughter, Katie Markum (Emmy Rossum). This rough Boston suburb that lies on the bank of the Mystic River is thrown into sorrow and misery over the loss. Jimmy (Penn) makes a vow to find the killer of his daughter and end him and throw him into the Mystic.
The story is superb. Twists and turns and changing plot lines makes this story brilliantly unpredictable. It proves nothing is what it seems. Dealing with issues of child abduction and the effects it has on the future, Mystic River watches and deals with the change n the course of someone life. What something would be like if Dave hadn't gotten into that strangers car? Katie Markum would never had been born to be murdered.
The acting is bar none and has been recognized by the Academy by awarding Sean Penn and Tim Robbins best actor and best supporting role at the Oscars. Sean Penn was incredible in this film. He was so into his character. An angry gangster trying to move on with his life, and get out of his life of crime and deceit. To love his children and to be the best father he can be. Strong and determined, hard and angry he tries to deal with the grief of the loss of his last real memory of his late first wife. Penn is perfect in performing this role. Tim Robbins is also and incredible actor. A man who had been abused neglected. Finally admitting to himself of the abuse he felt. He kept himself bottled and up. An angry and almost psychopathic man, who is doing his best to try and overcome the terrors he experienced by hopping in the car. An ensemble cast also included: Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Haden, Laurence Fishburn.
Mystic River is truly amazing. Clint Eastwood is an incredible director. If you like Million Dollar Baby then you will simply love "Mystic River." Not to be missed.
2 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
A decent enough mystery, 2008-01-29
I admit, it had me guessing and even surprised me. But all in all, I thought it was just good, not great. It had its moments, but it was bland at times and not too thought provoking.
2 of 3 customers found the following review helpful:
 Shakespearean tragedy - Small town American style (Spoilers), 2007-12-04
This film is all about the actors. The premise, or so it is called, is paper-thin. Any hallmark tv movie can beat that to it. Instead of devolving into a mundane murder mystery, this film adds a new dimension right from the beginning. Three childhood friends playing on the streets of their small provincial town nearly got absconded by two pedophiles in a car. One of them was not that lucky, Dave (adult role played by Tim Robbins).
Dave escaped four days later but was so traumatized by the event, he remained a "basket case" for the rest of his life. His wife, Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden), being insecure and overly suspicious, didn't help matters either.
The Macguffin of this film which inevitably draws all three childhood friends together was the murder of Jimmy's (Sean Penn) 19 year old daughter, played by a pre-Phantom of the Opera Emmy Rossum. Sean (Kevin Bacon) is the investigating officer for the case. Somehow or rather, through a series of incredible coincidences, Dave became a prime suspect and...
I don't wish to spoil the ending. But for those who have seen the film, read on. In a way, all of the main characters contributed to Dave's death in the end. Although Jimmy was physically responsible, Celeste was indirectly responsible, for telling Jimmy about Dave, Sean and his Sergeant (a dominant Laurence Fishburne) for placing their suspicions on Dave. In a way, Dave is this sad little tragic Greek figure in a tragedy where fate has sealed his destiny and despite himself, he cannot save himself from the inevitable.
In closing, I would like to point out that Laura Linney's character deserved special mention. Even though, she barely had any screentime, 10 minutes or so, her last scene shared with Sean Penn, evoked such powerful emotions that she reminded me of Lady Macbeth, in a conniving manner, using subterfuge, she convinced Jimmy that what he had done (murdering Dave) was the right and moral thing to do, using reasons such as protecting his family and domain as "what a king would do", those were her exact words. This was followed by a parade sequence where she and Marcia's character would exchange wordless glances that speaks all. The lady exults a sense of underlying evil and the capability to commit even more vileness that would surpass her husband's reckless cruelty.
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