Mystic River
Review by Clint Morris
 It’d
be easy to say Clint Eastwood is a better director than he
is an Actor, but that’d be mendacious.
It’d be factual for many of today’s ostensibly
multi-taskers, but the truth is Eastwood’s a pro whether
it’s in front or behind the lens, and there are never
any exceptions.
We don’t hear from him a lot these days because Hollywood
apparently doesn’t know what to do with him. He’s
either cast in asinine thrillers, old-world mysteries or popcorn
fodder.
No wonder he’s decided to return to the palace that’s
treated him best during the last decade: The director’s
arena. And thank god for that.
Adapted from a novel by Dennis Lehane and written for the
screen by Brian Helgeland [A Knight’s Tale, The
Sin Eater], Mystic River centers on three childhood
pals, Jimmy, Sean and Dave, who reunite under rather ill-fated
circumstances.
Jimmy’s [Sean Penn] daughter is murdered, and his estranged
pal Sean [Kevin Bacon] is the investigating detective.
Ultimately, Sean’s trail leads to Dave [Tim Robbins],
who years before was sexually abused, never really recovered,
and it looks like he might have taken out some of that pent-up
anger on his former friend’s guiltless descendant. Or
did he?
Maybe Eastwood has fared so well behind the camera because
he’s making the kind of movies no one else can - projects
that sound repellent to other filmmakers, ineffectual to other
studios, or too ambiguous to infantile production companies.
If that’s true, then Dr. Harry Callahan should have
left the force long ago, retiring on the extraordinary tales
that derive from his psyche. If so, he’d be wearing more
imperceptible filmmaking stripes on his shoulders than he
already does.
There’s no question about it: Mystic River is
a heavy movie.
It’s morbid, it’s sad, it’s slightly disquieting
and it’ll probably put many on a downer for the rest
of their day. What that means is that Eastwood’s intention
worked.
The film’s meant to be challenging, it’s meant
to be stirring, and it’s meant to affect. And affect
it does. Like watching a plane crumble to the ground, praying
for the passengers onboard – Mystic River is quite
upsetting. But at the same time – and like a fiery accident
– it’s a sheer spectacle you can’t turn away
from. The screenplay is excellent, the performances even better,
and Eastwood’s direction watertight.
One gets the succinct feeling that Eastwood might have been
hoping the end of the film packed a little more punch than
it does, but as it stands it’s still an entrancing finish,
and what comes before is nothing short of solid first-rate
filmmaking. A Class act Clint.
4 out of 5
Mystic River
Australian release: Thursday November 20th
Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden,
Laura Linney, Laurence Fishburne.
Director: Clint Eastwood.
Website: Click
here
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