Posted: 10/23/2003

Mystic River

(2003)

by Jonathan Shapiro

Eastwood’s conservative style pays off in dark thriller.

Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River takes the viewer on a suspenseful and emotionally tortuous journey that is sure to stick with you for hours, even days after the film is over. Eastwood uses his brilliant cast and intelligent camera work as the only type of special effects. The look of the film creates a sense of calm that allows you to focus on the story in its barest form.

The film focuses around three childhood friends on the mean streets of Boston that are forever scarred when one of them is abducted and sexually assaulted as a child. 20 years later Jimmy (Sean Penn) is an ex-convict who has become respectable as the owner of a local grocery store; Dave (Tim Robbins) is a Handyman, and Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a Homicide Detective for the State. The three men are brought back together when Jimmy’s 19-year-old daughter is savagely murdered and left in an abandoned zoo. At this point the film could have turned into a Hollywood style murder mystery that is all too common; but instead Eastwood creates a story that is focused on the past and its keen effect on the characters. The film truly discovers the inner demons that live inside of these men and the women they have married.

As the investigation unfolds, we are able to see that each character is extremely guarded and secretive, this is most certainly due the their different motives in the situation. Jimmy wants to find the killer himself so he can act as judge, jury and executioner, Dave just wants to be removed from the situation because it challenges his inner demons, while Sean is trying to do his job as a cop, while remaining loyal to his two friends. One of the true catalysts in the investigation is Whitey (Laurence Fishburne), his only loyalty is to the law and this makes him eager to find the truth.

The performances in Mystic River are simply amazing; it is hard for me to remember the last time I saw a film that had such brilliant acting. Sean Penn is in top form as the tortured father who is battling the past, while calmly searching for the perpetrator of this terrible crime. He brings a sense of sincerity to Jimmy that is completely unexpected; at one point he is talking to Dave about his inability to cry for his daughter while the tears are falling down his face, this was very hard to watch. To say that Penn should be nominated for an Oscar is a complete understatement. Tim Robbins is phenomenal as well, his character is in complete pain and anguish throughout the film; his search for answers to questions about the past is painful to watch. Kevin Bacon finds a new peak in his career with his performance as Sean, his ambivalence about investigating this crime is all too clear. We are also able to see how he is struggling with the departure of his wife who calls him but refuses to speak. Laura Linney’s speech to her husband (Penn) at the end of the film brings back memories of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. Marcia Gay Harden also gives a stellar performance as Dave’s nervous wife; her unease brings about terrible results. Laurence Fishburne is perfect as Whitey, he shows no emotion towards the suffering of the characters, which should be expected from a man of the law, the dichotomy between him and Sean is very interesting.

The real triumph of the film rests with Clint Eastwood. It is clear from the finished product that he had an amazing relationship with the actors, and was able to get every ounce of energy out of them. Eastwood wrote the score as well and it serves as a character in the film, with each new emotion a fresh chord exists to amplify the effect. Eastwood never lets the film become a generic whodunit; he constantly forces the viewer to think about the struggles that exist within the main characters. Mystic River is truly one of the best films to come out in 2003, it is Eastwood’s finest film since Unforgiven, so needless to say, old man Oscar should be paying him a visit in a couple of months.

Jonathan Shapiro is our New York staff writer.

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