Running Time. 2 hours 18 mins
Cast. Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Thomas Guiry, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Emmy Rossum, Spencer Treat Clark.
Clint Eastwood's Mystic River is the story of three childhood friends - Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) and Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins) - reunited after 25 years following a brutal murder of a teenage girl. One of them is the murdered girl's father, one of them is the last person to see her alive, and one of them is the police detective leading the investigation.
The screenplay was adapted from Dennis Lehane's best-selling novel by Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Man On Fire, Green Zone). The result is a heart-wrenching watch as the main protagonists realise revenge leads to an inevitable cycle of violence.
An emotionally charged Sean Penn gives a standout performance as the family's stoic patriarch, only displaying fleeting glimpses of vulnerability. But there is an equally impressive, nuanced performance from Tim Robbins. The towering 6'5" actor shrinks down to a shell of a man. An adult man still haunted by the traumatic events of his childhood. Both received Academy Awards for their performances - Sean Penn picked up the Best Actor Academy Award and Tim Robbins picked up the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Set in the fictitious blue-collar neighbourhood of East Buckingham Mystic River screams authenticity. Clint Eastwood filmed on location amongst the triple-deck wood-frame houses of South Boston, an area with a strong Irish-American heritage and populated with old-school diners, pizzerias and taverns.
My main criticism of Mystic River, and the only reason the review drops under 90%, is the final scene of the film, the parade. At the conclusion of the film, and with the last remaining connection to his former wife, Marita gone, Annabeth Markum (Laura Linney) absolves her husband of his lawless retribution. At this point, the once timid and demure spouse abruptly switches to a manipulative and malevolent driving force,
"Because everyone is weak, Jimmy. Everyone but us. We will never be weak. And you, you could rule this town. And after Jimmy, let's take the girls down to the parade. Katie would like that."
This new level of control exerted over her husband would suggest a different character trajectory that was not evident or apparent for the entirety of the film. Lady Macbeth, eat your heart out.
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