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Critics Consensus: Anchored by the exceptional acting of its strong cast, Mystic River is a somber drama that unfolds in layers and conveys the tragedy of its story with visceral power.
Critic Consensus: Anchored by the exceptional acting of its strong cast, Mystic River is a somber drama that unfolds in layers and conveys the tragedy of its story with visceral power.
All Critics (203) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (178) | Rotten (25) | DVD (20)
Eastwood and his actors create a brooding drama whose events and interrelationships seem surreally improbable yet painfully authentic.
Violence and revenge have been a staple of Eastwood's work from the beginning, but here he explores his subject from a new, more ambiguous angle, with no regard for macho titillation.
It is in many ways Eastwood's tightest movie for some time, and certainly his darkest since Unforgiven; indeed, the ending offers as corrosive an assessment of the limits of American justice as anything in his career.
Sean Penn is so frighteningly good in this movie that he outdoes even the best of his earlier work.
Works as a straight-up detective story, and the acting is often breathtaking.
Too depressing to fill audiences with delight, but it does seem to validate questionable attitudes, especially an indifference to the suffering of innocent people and a willingness to shoot first and ask questions later.
One of its best qualities is that it's dark but not depressing.
It is a film of magisterial, slow-burning power, one of the finest examples of recent American cinematic storytelling and certainly Eastwood's most mature film.
Eastwood tells the story simply, barely moving the camera. The only special effect in this film is genius.
There is nothing romantic about the law of the streets, and its unforgiving nature has a finality that can't be undone. Eastwood has an understanding of what it takes to live with yourself, not so much a sympathy as an appreciation.
The entire cast did a phenomenal job, resisting the urge to overact too much, which is what you get for a film like this.
Powerful performances in graphic story. Only 16+.
Super Reviewer
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Three childhood friends who share the memory of a traumatic event are brought together once more when one of their children is murdered. Clint Eastwood once again proves he is one of the best directors working in Hollywood with this extremely well acted and written crime drama. The characters on display are far more sophisticated than those found in your average mainstream thriller, and the top notch cast all get to demonstrate their thespian chops with plenty of meaty dialogue as Clint cranks up the suspense with consummate skill. I personally have always found Penn a little unconvincing and his performance here is a little over-ripe as well, but he is a suitably intense protagonist. Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne are totally believable as the detectives on the case, very much in the tradition of The Wire and Oscar winner Tim Robbins is the stand out as the traumatized abductee who is beginning to fear for his sanity. My one criticism would be that I thought that the epilogue killed the mood somewhat, but as a whole it is head and shoulders above the usual cop thriller fare.
A masterpiece. A pure powerhouse entertainment. Sean Penn is magnificent, giving a groundbreaking and emotionally shattering performance. Tim Robbins is brilliant, a haunting and brooding performance. Kevin Bacon is terrific, a compelling and fantastic performance. Laurence Fishburne is excellent. Marcia Gay Harden is a revelation. The acting is so beyond superb, the actors go places they haven't been before and nail it dead on. A powerful cast. It's sizzling, heart-pounding and utterly shocking. The best picture of 2003. Clint Eastwood's best film as a director. An instant classic. A powerful, deeply effective, chilling and brooding thriller. A stylish, masterful, intriguing and searing mystery. Unsettling and unforgettable. It sticks in your mind and does not let go. It will keep you on the edge of your seat then take your breath away and knock you out. A true shot of adrenaline to the heart. Such a film should not be missed for it's power, suspense, tragedy and emotion.
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