Customer Reviews

Mystic River [VHS]

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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.

Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Dennis Lehane's wrenching best-seller, "Mystic River," is a remarkable achievement. Having read the book shortly before seeing the movie, I was impressed with Eastwood's faithfulness to the letter and spirit of Lehane's story.

Sean Penn plays Jimmy Markham (Marcus in the book), a small time hood who did a stint in prison almost two decades earlier. Jimmy now owns a grocery store, is a loving family man, and seems to have given up his criminal ways. As a child, Jimmy was a close friend of Sean Devine, who grew up to become a homicide detective, and Dave Boyle, played by the wonderful Tim Robbins. Boyle endured a terrible trauma as a child, and he is tortured by horrifying thoughts that he can never escape. When Jimmy's nineteen-year-old daughter, Katie, is found brutally murdered, Sean investigates with his partner, played by Laurence Fishburne, and the lives of the three old friends intersect once again.

The stellar cast of "Mystic River" is amazingly effective. Each actor completely inhabits his or her character. Sean Penn's performance is brutal and heart-rending, and Tim Robbins convincingly plays a man on the brink of madness. Supporting these fine actors are Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden, as Jimmy's and Dave's wives.

Eastwood wisely shot his film on the streets of Boston, and Tom Stern's atmospheric and skillful cinematography contribute to the film's realistic and dramatic look. "Mystic River" is a powerful drama about how desperate people react when they are under tremendous emotional pressure. This mythic tragedy proves Faulkner's dictum, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." The mistakes we make and the injuries that we suffer are always with us in one way or another. Kudos to Eastwood and his fine cast and crew on making an exceptional film.

Dennis Lehane wrote the book and Clint Eastwood directed the movie. It is rare that a movie is equal to the book, but in this case they are both superb works of art. Three young boys friends and playmates grow up in Southie,a neighborhood in Boston. On a summer's day, Jimmy, (Sean Penn) and Sean (Kevin Bacon) have marked their names in fresh cement, and Davey (Tim Robbins) is just about to write his name when a car drives up. A man who purports to be a detective tells them they have broken the law and takes Davey with him to tell his mom. Davey goes missing and turns up several days later after running away, a victim of sexual abduction. The friendship is no more with Davey, and he has a difficult adolescence. Years later, these three men unite after the murder of Jimmy's teenage daughter. Each man has had his tribulations. Jimmy has spent time in prison, and it appears that he remains the thug as depicted. Sean Penn gives the performance of his life. Sean became the character, Jimmy. I was
unable to take my eyes from him- he is the center of the movie- a rough, tumbled man with passion and love for his family. Sean, Kevin Bacon, has become a detective in the Massachusetts State Police. His life has fallen apart- his wife has left him and calls frequently but won't talk- what is that all about? Sean is an honest detective, an oxymoron except in his case. And Davey, Tim Robbins is rambling through life with a wife, Marcia Gay Harden and young son. Davey's wife, Celeste has a fear that Davey is responsible for the death of Jimmy's daughter. The lives of all three men and all those who surround them are intertwined in a complex maze. Did Davey murder Jimmy's daughter? Who and how is the young man who was going to leave town with Jimmy's daughter, involved with these people? Will Sean and his wife resolve their communication difficulties? This remarkable movie is a culmination of Clint Eastwood's directorial abilities. The praise that has been heaped is well deserved. Sean Penn will most certainly obtain an Oscar nomination for his part in this movie-he became the movie. The movie is indeed dark, but the message is clear. A movie well worth your time.`

I was knocked out by _Mystic River_. It truly lived up to the hype that had surrounded it for the months that I failed to see it in the theaters. Flawlessly directed by Clint Eastwood, _Mystic River_ has all of its bases covered-great filmmaking, directing, script, actors, etc. In the end, however, this movie comes down to the quality of the acting. Everyone is in this film. And I mean everyone. While Sean Penn steals the show in my book, his character has to compete with Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. Everyone does a superb job and together they create a film that will quickly become a classic.

Many have knocked the film for its "unsatisfying" ending. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One has to wonder what these audience members expected-a happy, Hollywood ending where everyone joins hands and dances around the Maypole? Had _Mystic River_ fallen to these stale devices, the film would have blown up and taken hits for wasting all of its potential.

In my opinion, faulting this film for not having a "satisfying" ending is just to fundamentally disagree about what "satisfying" entails. If you want a "popcorn" flick that satisfies your desire to turn off your heart for ninety minutes, do not rent this film-it will not "satisfy" you. But if you want an original film with a compelling storyline and complex morality, this film definitely "satisfies." The emotions in this film are real. The actors are real. The performances are real. Robbins haunting performance at the end of the film is real. Are there loose ends? Yeah. Does the film leave you wondering? Sure. Is it a happy ending? No way. But all of these facts point to the very reason that the film succeeds.

Now, if you're going for a thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat or if you're seeking a mystery that's plot-driven and all about the clues, then MYSTIC RIVER is definitely not going to satisfy you. I went to see it because the cast that director Clint Eastwood assembled is incredible, and the story is motivated by character-rooted actions and decisions.

Still, I was underwhelmed by MYSTIC RIVER.

Sean Penn is absolutely brilliant playing a neighborhood ex-con who becomes a successful businessman, yet he cannot escape his past when his daughter is brutally murdered. It's a role that seems like the sort of part Penn has played well before, yet there are layers to his character that are fascinating to watch. Still, at the same time, his character Jimmy never really surprised me with any of his actions. I saw where the film was pretty much going from its opening moments, and it went exactly in that direction.

Tim Robbins, playing an adult survivor of a childhood abduction and molestation, does incredibly well at creating a suspicious yet sympathetic character. He, though, is also saddled with a plot contrivance that was brought in from the book, where he doesn't share crucial information at a point when you would expect him to, even when he can. That's an incredibly frustrating thing to watch in any film, where you feel that the characters are withholding information merely to service the film's plot.

Kevin Bacon, playing the third lead character, has far less to do in the film. He's saddled with a strangely-filmed subplot involving his wife, who calls on the phone throughout the film but doesn't speak and whose face is never shown. His character, as well, isn't as well-rounded as the other leads.

In supporting roles, the amazing Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden play the spouses of men caught up in a bizarre murder mystery. Linney's closing speech at the end of the film is so good that I wished the film had more moments with her in them. Harden's final scene is compelling and heartbreaking.

All in all, I thought MYSTIC RIVER was an incredibly acted, flawed mystery film.

Adapted from Dennis Lehane's critically acclaimed novel, Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River" is a masterful achievement. It does nothing less than elevate contemporary working-class Boston into the realm of Shakespearean tragedy. The film is superbly crafted by screenwriter Brian Helgeland and may turn out to be Clint Eastwood's crowning masterpiece as a director. It also helps that Eastwood has assembled one of the finest ensemble casts in years to act out this deep, gripping story. When you have Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney in the same movie, there isn't a lot that can go wrong. And very little does.

"Mystic River" is the story of three men and the past events that haunt them in adulthood. Jimmy (Penn), Sean (Bacon), and Dave (Robbins) were friends when they were children, until one day Dave is abducted by two men pretending to be police officers. They sexually abuse him and he manages to escape four days later. The story then shifts to the present day, where the three have grown apart from one another. Then the murder of Jimmy's nineteen year old daughter brings them back together.

Sean Penn gives a furious, impressive performance here, for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor. His Jimmy Markham is toughened by the prison time he has done, but will do anything to protect his wife and children. Although there are moments when Penn seems to be showing off how good of an actor he is and going slightly overboard, there is an intensity in his characterization that is mesmerizing. The scenes where Jimmy mourns his murdered daughter are some of the most moving depictions of grief I have ever seen on film.

As the severely disturbed Dave Boyle, Tim Robbins gives the performance of his career. Dave is haunted by what happened to him as a child, and he can do nothing to escape his memories of it. Robbins is astounding to watch, his body sagging with the weight of a lifetime, his eyes filled with fear and shame. It's no wonder that Robbins won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Marcia Gay Harden also turns in solid work as Dave's troubled wife Celeste, who thinks her husband might be a killer. Harden spends much of the film on the edge of hysteria, wracked with guilt. It could have been a thankless role, but Harden makes it count.

With all of the emoting from Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, it would be easy to dismiss Kevin Bacon's work here. As Sean, a homicide detective who has recently been deserted by his wife, Bacon has the least flashy of the three main roles. But with admirable subtlety, Bacon skillfully etches a portrait of a man whose non-nonsense exterior conceals a deep well of pain. As his partner, Laurence Fishburne provides the solid support needed to make the murder investigation plot work.

Mention must also be made of Laura Linney's superb performance. As Jimmy's wife Annabeth, Linney seems to be always in the background, observing. In fact, she barely seems to be in the movie at all. Then she has an astonishing scene at the end of the film, a simple dialogue with her husband where she reveals the Lady Macbeth-like depths of her character. It makes your jaw drop. It is a compliment to Laura Linney's extreme talent as an actress that she almost steals the movie with about ten minutes of screen time.

"Mystic River" is a dark, brooding, masterpiece of a film. The direction, acting, and writing are all first rate. It is an instant classic.

I watched this last night. This movie made me feel like I had been beaten up and left on the sidewalk to crawl home. But, I'm not saying it was a bad film. Eastwood has hit home runs in the last several outings and he has aged his talents to a finely honed formula that rarely dissappoints. I am not familiar with the book that this is based on and frankly I don't want to know: the movie was upsetting enough.

A good drama should move you, should make you feel shaken and this film delivers. The script is very good, the actors all excellent. While the film seems to linger just a wee bit too long at the end, it caps off the story without leaving anything unsaid. Having said this, it also does not tie up every single loose end; we are left to figure it out for ourselves and the ambiguity that this invokes is acceptable.

Sean Penn gives a tremendous performance that is worthy of all the accolades. Following close to him is the evocative and always disturbing impressions we see in Tim Robbins' character. The themes of this film are nasty and not for the weak of heart or constitution. While it is not pleasant these things do happen and the story is told in a believable way.

While I am a big fan of all the main actors and of Eastwoods movies in general, the depth of pain this film oozes just makes me glad I watched it once and I think I'll take a very long rain check on seeing it again; at least for quite a while. Angst like this is taken in small doses. On the other hand, acting at this level rarely happens by such a stellar cast and in such a well orchestrated manner.

Mystic River is a haunting and tragic movie that is extremely well written, acted, and directed. At its core it is a murder mystery, but one that is shrouded by a tragedy that befalls the three main characters as young boys. The movie starts when Jimmy Markam, Sean Devine, and Dave Boyle are small boys playing in the street. Jimmy, the "hard case" of the bunch entices his pals to write their name in wet cement where the sidewalk is being repaired. Two men posing as cops drive up and abduct the boy that seems to be the most weak willed - Dave. Dave is abused but eventually escapes. These episode forever changes the lives of all three.

Years later Jimmy's daughter is murdered brutally and the mystery behind her death is shrouded by a confluence of events that bring the three together again but in a rather odd fashion. Sean is now a cop, Jimmy an ex-con, and Dave obviously behaves a bit oddly as a result of his boyhood trauma. The mystery that emerges and the triangle between these three men is very well directed and acted. It's a psychologically deep and dark film that lesser actors probably couldn't have pulled off.

This movie may not suit everyone's tastes but I would highly recommend it.

Mystic River is a triumph for Clint Eastwood. Truly a moving film, Mystic River never lets your eyes wander from the screen as you're completely focused on this very disturbing story. A film capturing the adult lives of once childhood friends, played by Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon, you watch as they come together once again after what appears to be many years of brief and intermittent run-ins with each other.

Sean Penn plays somewhat of a wise, yet immature loose cannon of a man, Kevin Bacon as a MPD (Massachusetts) detective and Tim Robbins as the man whose life was forever altered because of a shocking childhood trauma, these three play off of each other very well. I wanted to reach out to each of them. There are moments where some may see Kevin Bacon's character as a bit flushed out, but it appears that this is more effective than not. We jump from age 10 to probably late 30's, early 40's of these three men and we learn little about them that helps to explain so much.

After Penn's daughter is brutally murdered, Bacon and Laurence Fishburne (a fine choice to partner with Bacon) take on the case to find her killer. The three friends are all shaken up (obviously Penn is destroyed over hiss loss) and the mystery seems to unfold quite rapidly. This is definitely one of the most intriguing mystery films I've seen in a long time.

Fans of those earlier mentioned should really enjoy this film. There are also some excellent and shocking performances by Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden. I highly recommend this film. Its disturbing and almost heart-wrenching (perhaps even angering) subject will attract any looking for a solid dramatic mystery with some very memorable characters. This is one to add to your collection.

With a superb plot about the interrelated lives of three childhood friends, this movie has the emotional depth of classic Greek drama. The plot combines story lines over 25 years, of kidnapping and child abuse, armed robberies, betrayal, revenge, jealousy and murder in a completely convincing and thoroughly constructed script. I have watched it three times and am fully convinced that there are absolutely no holes in the story. Every single aspect of it is thought through and in line with the whole.
Yes, there is violence in the story, but does that make the movie a violent "show", as one review claims? Definitely not, much of the violence happens off screen or is not shown in a full and direct way. There is no violence peeping, no gloating in sordid details. Violence here is funtional and not overdone.
The actors are top notch, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins fully deserved their acting Oscars. The rest of the cast is on the same level, mainly Kevin Bacon, Lawrence Fishburn, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Lynney. The directing is superb, Clint E. would have deserved a directing Oscar.
The movie, in my view, tells the story better than Dennis Lehane's novel. Apologies to the author, whom I respect a lot for his Boston crime fiction.