Mystic River

Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Clint Eastwood
Writing Credit: Dennis Lehane
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
Duration: 137mins
Genre: drama, mystery, crime
Rated: R for language & violence

Tagline: We bury our sins, we wash them clean.

Mystic River, a film I have been anticipating for months, gave me more than I could have ever expected. Clint Eastwood has delivered the finest film of his career. Mystic River, a tragic, yet needed to be made film, introduces us to three childhood friends who meet with unspeakable tragedy. Set in Boston, friends Jimmy (Sean Penn), Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Dave (Tim Robbins) are confronted by two men and Dave is ultimately abducted and abused before making his escape. Their lives will never be the same again.

Fast-forward 25 years later. Sean is now a detective investigating the murder of Jimmy's daughter. Jimmy, who is now an ex-con, runs a local convenience store. Dave is now a father himself and is visibly still impacted by the events that occurred 25 years earlier. The three friends, who are now estranged, are reunited as the evidence begins to unfold and Dave is considered a prime suspect in the murder. What follows is a tragic, brutal ending that will unlikely be forgotten.

What I liked most about this film is that it does not give us a Hollywood feel. This would not be a good film if it ended differently or the way Hollywood would want it to end. Eastwood slams the audience into the lives of these men and shows us what we sometimes choose not to see, real life and how tragedy affects us. I cannot praise Eastwood enough for this film. The film brought Sean Penn an Oscar for best acting. Never have I seen a cast like this. The film was excellently crafted and Eastwood has done a stellar job. This is without a doubt the best movie I have ever seen.

Memorable Quotes from Mystic River

Sean Penn: We bury our sins here, we wash them clean.

Tom Guiry: I know you can talk, so say you love me!

Sean Penn: This part... you do alone.

Tom Guiry: Do you love me Ray? Do you love me enough to kill my fucking girlfriend?

Tim Robbins: Maybe some day you forget what it's like to be human & maybe then, it's ok.

Sean Penn: And it's really starting to piss me off, Dave! She's my own little daughter, and I can't even cry for her!
Tim Robbins: Jimmy, you're crying now

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