Movie review: Mystic River

Sean, Dave, and Jimmy survive a childhood trauma before drifting apart growing up. When Jimmy's teenage daughter is murdered the investigation reunites the three, bringing back memories and pain of childhood.

Sean Penn (Jimmy), Tim Robbins (Dave), Kevin Bacon (Sean), Laurence Fishburne (Whitey), Marcia Harden (Celeste), Laura Linney (Annabeth), Kevin Chapman (Val Savage), Emmy Rossum (Katie), Adam Nelson (Nick Savage), Robert Wahlberg (Kevin Savage), Tom Guiry (Brendan), Spencer Clark (Silent Ray).

Directed by Clint Eastwood, this all-star cast delivers an emotional tale of childhood trauma leading to emotional and ethical trauma in adulthood. The plot is solid and the film moves along at a pretty good pace, building suspense and mystery very well. The misdirection and intrigue are delicious as we contemplate ethics and morality in an emotionally charged situation. The story winds down with a well done twist that wraps up loose ends well.

Acting was very well done here. Penn and Robbins both delivered wonderful performances with strong emotion throughout. Bacon was good but a bit bland. Linney, Fishburne, and Harden all did well and brought good quality and depth to the film. The rest of the cast did well, delivering solid performances and good emotion.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are all good with a realistic feel and good detail. Action scenes were mild but well done throughout. Dialogue was very enjoyable with good detail and depth that moved the story along well. Sound and soundtrack were good as would be expected from a big budget film.

At 138 minutes of run-time, Mystic River flows for a long time but the entire journey is enjoyable. With a wonderful cast, good technical work, and a storyline that is presented very well those who enjoy a good crime thriller or mystery should enjoy this one a lot. Put Mystic River in the top half of your Must See list.

With violence and foul language, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2003
Reviewed: 1.5.15
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Mysteries, Film Noir, Thrillers

copyright ©2015 Dave Riedel

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