Mystic River

Mystic River is immediately frightening. It has the feel of a brewing pot that could go off at any moment. Three friends play street hockey in the neighborhood, they decide to sketch their names in the cement. As the third friend: Dave sketches his name, two men appear claiming to be police, and take Dave away. We then skip ahead thirty-some-odd years and Dave is antisocial and depressing, the second friend, Sean, is a cop, and the third, Jimmy, is the manager of a store. One day Jimmy's teenage daughter's car turns up by the side of the road: his daughter has been murdered. Sean is on the case, Dave is a suspect, and Jimmy is in mourning. As the case unfold and revelations appear, it isn't the revelations about the case which interest the audience, but rather, the revelations of the characters: we see their reactions and the souls of these characters become apparent. Jimmy (Sean Penn) is especially interesting, for he used to be top shit in the neighborhood, but now he's a wreck. Penn gives a great performance. Kevin Bacon as Sean, and Tim Robbins as Dave are also good. The wives of these men are often overlooked, but they are just as important. They are played by Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden. Mystic River is a great film. It concerns the mood of a time and place and also succeeds as a fascinating crime story. It was directed by Clint Eastwood.
Mystic River: ✰✰✰✰