Not enough can be said about the acting chops of our three main guys. They were all amazing. it wasn't the acting or overall plot that got me--I loved most of this movie, and may have been fine if it had faded to black as we hear Jimmy's voiceover talking about how he killed the wrong man and it can't be undone. But right after this confession, Linney makes this very chilling speech to him about how, as a father, he had to do what he had to do. I can see how a wife may say that in trying to support her husband in such a dismal situation. But her condescending remarks about the weakness of others, the vindictive tone when talking about Celeste, (who essentially knowingly got her husband killed), and her cavalier attitude about the murder of Boyle, who by far was the most endearing character....well it straight pissed me off. It seemed out of place and was unnecessarily ruthless. That single conversation between Jimmy and her almost killed it for me. And then there's the confusing "gotcha" gun hand signal by Devine to Jimmy that I can't figure out. Does this mean he is going to go after him for Dave's murder? Or is it simply an acknowledgement of Jimmy's presence and their past together? There was so much to unpack in the parade scene at the end, from the aforementioned conversation to the steely glare Annabeth gives Celeste, to Celeste yelling at her son on the float, hoping he would see her and acknowledge her, to Devine 's reunion with wife and baby...it just seemed like we were unraveling ends at a time when no ends should be loose--it's the end of the movie after all. Cut that parade scene and I'd give this a 9\10. The acting is superb. TIm Robbins is incredible, Kevin Bacon is a star, and Sean Penn shows once again he is a formidable opponent, vulnerable when needed and tough as nails the rest of the time. I don't know. I may just need to finally read the book and see if that answers my questions.

One of the most dark and depressing movies and stories ever come across, yet Mystic River is a pleasure to watch and more than that, to think about at laying awake in bed nights after. A summation of brilliant subtle & understated acting, pushed to the limits by the fact that every character had something boiling beneath the surface and an undercurrent of swinging hopefulness yet hopelessness. The key idea that the movie brings out is that there is no redemption. And no escape. It sells the disheartening idea that everything perpetuates through our lives - our griefs, our prejudices, our weaknesses, our flaws and that there is no escaping these. That there are no arcs, despite everything we see we don't really change. There are givers and takers, the weak and strong, the bullies and the bullied. It says that the weak will forever remain the weak, the bullied will remain bullied forever. In fact, it goes on so much as to hint that these "characteristics" of ours will propagate from one generation to another. The weak will attract the weak and the kings will attract the queens. No redemption and no escape. Terrible, depressing idea isn't it. Could makes one want to kill themselves as it did in the movie.In cinema, where most stories show characters developing and changing through their lives, this movie says the opposite - that even over twenty odd years, our basic traits and choices remain the same. Reminds me of that poem in the Synecdoche, New York: "Whoever has no house now, will never have one. Whoever is alone, will stay alone. Will sit, read, write long letters, through the evening. And wander the boulevards, up and down, restlessly. While the dry leaves, are blowing."

This is one of these movies that has a smooth lines and transitions throughout the whole plot. It also reflects the hidden reality of a rural Boston and how they "resolve" their issues. What I like more about it is that it touched the topic of pedophilia, which is very common nowadays. What even made it more interesting is the closeness between the people involved since it is between a group of friends where this plot unfolds, and also the instinct of betrayal.

An intense film founded on the slow character and plot development of the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name, Clint Eastwood and the cast convey an emotional depth rarely seen in cinema. The mystery film concerns itself more with the inner depths and mysterious developments of the small community, reflected in the Mystic River, rather than the large overarching case that catalyzes the ensuing events. This is what makes the cinematic masterpiece so beautiful. Each character, each event, each scene, and each tiny detail exist for a reason, paralleling the enormous themes of the film. Mystic River is bigger than the movie itself; it conveys meaning directly to the viewer with vivid emotion.Eastwood works to slowly build his film from the bottom up with carefully constructed tiers: plot, character, time-line, etc. Masterfully inserted flashbacks effectively connect the past to the present in a community where the present is the past. But the powerful performances from the entirety of the cast finish Eastwood's emotional drama. Sean Penn and Laura Linney form the powerful duo of a hurt couple full of love, hope, and purpose. Penn, Robbins, and Bacon make up the childhood trio tied together by an unforgettable past; an emotion seen in the atmosphere of their scenes together. And Penn and Robbins deliver spectacularly in their awkward, suspenseful, misinterpreted, fateful scenes together that shape the entirety of the film and the relationships of the characters in it.Helgeland masterfully adapted Lehane's immense novel into a brief two hours of intensity. The majority of the novel's theme, characterization, and nuance were transferred into the film through dialogue and acting. The characters came alive and the actors became the characters. The fateful story playing out in the piece transcended the screen, taking refuge in the rivers of reality, slowly washing over and then, breaking wave after wave on the viewer.Mystic River is a cinematic masterpiece to be remembered for centuries. It provides a piercing view into community, fate, love, and the effect of the past. It makes simple statements engulfed in reality to create an artistic perfection. The final product is art; the post-production was art; the filming was art; the development was art. And it simply says that fate is fate and Boston is Boston.