Mystic River Review

To the Point

I wish I could rave about a movie set around my very own Mystic River. That movie is Mystic River directed by Clint Eastwood.

I would not recommend that you read reviews that give away the plot of this movie. This is a true mystery and though someone decent also disappointing. I expected more from the story.

A Closer View

The 3 main characters In Mystic River show up as childhood friends one of whom was abducted as a boy for 4 days clearly sexually molested. This is one of many undeveloped subplots. I write "clearly" although it is not clear. Certainly Robbin's actions as a man can speak louder than words and perhaps developing that is not necessary to the movie.

Tim Robbins (Best Supporting actor Oscar for his role.) does a fantastic job as Dave Boyle, the little boy who was abducted and grows up to be a man in trouble. He is not mentally healthy. Why he never got help didn’t surface. If they had delved into that, we would have found out most likely that South Boston (Southie as Bostonians know the area) is a close -knit community and one where all that happened to Jimmy could have and apparently was swept under the rug.

Sean Penn won an Oscar as best actor for his role as Jimmy Markum. Jimmy grows up to be a very tough guy, a murderer in fact. His wife, Laura Linney as Annabeth Markum, forgives him all his sins because that’s what a man with a big heart is supposed to do.

Kevin Bacon, as Sean Devine, is the 3rd childhood friend who conveniently grows up to be a police officer. He is joined together with friends with whom he has lost touch after the death of Markam's daughter. This is a good "who dunnit." It kept me entertained for the over 2 hours it runs and at times on the edge of my seat. This is a really good sign for a movie. I fall asleep if a movie doesn’t engage me.

Marcia Gay Harden is wonderful as Celeste Boyle. I liked her character and respected her for not “standing by her man.”

I cannot ignore the accent. If you are visiting Boston you have heard us talk. If you are like I am this is the way I talk. If you never heard us talk you will ask me to say “park the car in Harvard yard” and you’ll laugh after I do. In Mystic River we have attempts at Boston accents mixed with the ethnic, Irish neighborhood that pervades much of South Boston. For a Bostonian, that faux pas can ruin a movie because it is so hard to listen to.

Mystic River is rated R for language and violence.

Jo's Viewpoint

Not sure what the big deal is!