Mystic River ***** (2003, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon) – Classic Movie Review 468

Sean Penn won a well-deserved best actor Oscar as Jimmy Markum, a Boston ex-con who takes the law into his own hands when he thinks one of his childhood buddies, Dave Boyle, has murdered his teenage oldest daughter, Katie. Playing Boyle, Tim Robbins was also a deserved Oscar-winner as best supporting actor.

Another of Markum’s old buddies is police detective Sean Devine, who is the cop assigned on the case, played by Kevin Bacon. Devine’s gathering difficult and disturbing evidence, while having to try to handle Jimmy’s rage and need for retribution.

This ambitious, character-driven 2003 thriller represents a triumphant return to form for director Clint Eastwood (who doesn’t appear) and writer Brian Helgeland, after their fairly disastrous teaming on the 2002 thriller Blood Work. Eastwood films the dark and disturbing tale (based on the bestselling novel by Dennis Lehane) in great style in eerie, wrong-end-of-the-tracks Boston locations.

Eastwood encourages superb acting from the whole of a fired-up cast, and keeps a long (138 minutes), complex film riveting throughout. It’s an acting, scripting and directing triumph, probably in  that order. Eastwood also co-produces and scores the movie. Laurence Fishburne and Laura Linney also star.

There were just the two Oscar wins, and there were also four nominations for best film, director, adapted screenplay and supporting actress (Marcia Gay Harden, as Celeste Boyle). Penn and Robbins also won Golden Globes. Penn won a second best actor Oscar as Harvey Milk in 2008’s Milk.

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© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 468

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