Mystic River
2.5/4
Starring: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, Tom Guiry, Emmy Rossum
Rated R for Language and Violence
"Mystic River" presents itself as a hard-hitting drama about violence and guilt, the ties that bind, family, and all the stuff of Beantown dramas hoping for Oscar glory. Unfortunately, when you take even a cursory look beneath the surface, there's nothing there. It's all posturing, An illusion to manipulate the audience into thinking that there's a deeper meaning to this story than there actually is. Sure, the performances are strong and Clint Eastwood is no hack director, but so what? This is all just an example of the emperor with no clothes.
Years ago, three kids were playing hockey and writing their names in a sidewalk block. One of them, Dave (Cameron Bowen) was taken by two men and wasn't seen for three days. His two friends, Jimmy Markum (Kelly) and Sean Devine (Connor Paolo) went for help, but it was too late.
Even as adults, none of them have recovered from their ordeal. Jimmy (Penn) has become an ex-con with a tough reputation. Sean (Bacon) is a cop in a bad marriage. Poor Dave (Robbins) is an odd duck with serious emotional scars. These three lives come to a head when Jimmy's beloved daughter Katie (Rossum) is found murdered. Now, the ghosts of the past can no longer be ignored.
Ostensibly, "Mystic River" is a murder mystery, but in reality, it's about three men coming to terms with that fateful day. That's fine, but so what? Of course Jimmy, Sean and especially Dave carry deep wounds from what happened. And? Unfortunately, that's all this movie has to offer. These three men are still traumatized, and the movie spends two hours repeating it.
Fortunately, the movie has a huge respite, which is watching a who's who of talented actors getting to strut their stuff. Just look at the names: Sean Penn (in an Oscar-winning performance, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins (also an Oscar-winning performance), Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden (nominated), Tom Guiry and Emmy Rossum. The problem is that while everyone has a lot to do, it doesn't add up to much. "Mystic River" is basically an actor's dream but not much else. There are moments of "hard-hitting drama," "intensity," and so on, all the things that actors love to do. But it's all meaningless. There's no point to any of it. The actors make the most of it, but not even a cast like this can camouflage the hollowness of the story.
Clint Eastwood is a talented, but inconsistent, director. While he did direct "American Sniper," "Changeling," and "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil," he also directed "Million Dollar Baby" (which had a similar flaw), "J. Edgar" (which featured what was arguably Leonardo DiCaprio's most embarrassing performance), and "Sully." Eastwood needs to invest in better scripts and be unafraid to tackle difficult material head on. When a person agrees to watch a heavy movie like "Mystic River," they expect to be taken into the darkest recesses of the human mind and heart. Not be subjected to cliches and pretensions.
Starring: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, Tom Guiry, Emmy Rossum
Rated R for Language and Violence
"Mystic River" presents itself as a hard-hitting drama about violence and guilt, the ties that bind, family, and all the stuff of Beantown dramas hoping for Oscar glory. Unfortunately, when you take even a cursory look beneath the surface, there's nothing there. It's all posturing, An illusion to manipulate the audience into thinking that there's a deeper meaning to this story than there actually is. Sure, the performances are strong and Clint Eastwood is no hack director, but so what? This is all just an example of the emperor with no clothes.
Years ago, three kids were playing hockey and writing their names in a sidewalk block. One of them, Dave (Cameron Bowen) was taken by two men and wasn't seen for three days. His two friends, Jimmy Markum (Kelly) and Sean Devine (Connor Paolo) went for help, but it was too late.
Even as adults, none of them have recovered from their ordeal. Jimmy (Penn) has become an ex-con with a tough reputation. Sean (Bacon) is a cop in a bad marriage. Poor Dave (Robbins) is an odd duck with serious emotional scars. These three lives come to a head when Jimmy's beloved daughter Katie (Rossum) is found murdered. Now, the ghosts of the past can no longer be ignored.
Ostensibly, "Mystic River" is a murder mystery, but in reality, it's about three men coming to terms with that fateful day. That's fine, but so what? Of course Jimmy, Sean and especially Dave carry deep wounds from what happened. And? Unfortunately, that's all this movie has to offer. These three men are still traumatized, and the movie spends two hours repeating it.
Fortunately, the movie has a huge respite, which is watching a who's who of talented actors getting to strut their stuff. Just look at the names: Sean Penn (in an Oscar-winning performance, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins (also an Oscar-winning performance), Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden (nominated), Tom Guiry and Emmy Rossum. The problem is that while everyone has a lot to do, it doesn't add up to much. "Mystic River" is basically an actor's dream but not much else. There are moments of "hard-hitting drama," "intensity," and so on, all the things that actors love to do. But it's all meaningless. There's no point to any of it. The actors make the most of it, but not even a cast like this can camouflage the hollowness of the story.
Clint Eastwood is a talented, but inconsistent, director. While he did direct "American Sniper," "Changeling," and "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil," he also directed "Million Dollar Baby" (which had a similar flaw), "J. Edgar" (which featured what was arguably Leonardo DiCaprio's most embarrassing performance), and "Sully." Eastwood needs to invest in better scripts and be unafraid to tackle difficult material head on. When a person agrees to watch a heavy movie like "Mystic River," they expect to be taken into the darkest recesses of the human mind and heart. Not be subjected to cliches and pretensions.
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