I rented Mystic River this week, as I have been wanting to see it ever since it received critical acclaim. This Clint Eastwood directed film has been dubbed his "masterpiece" by many, with Sean Penn and Tim Robbins both winning Oscars for their performances.
Mystic River was a very moody and layered piece. Three boyhood friends are forever changed when one of them is abducted and abused for several days. The 10-minute boyhood prologue sets the stage for the rest of the film, which brings us very intimate with the motivations, hope and dreams of each of the characters as adults.
The subject matter is harsh and the film has some intense moments, with superb acting by the entire cast. Eastwood's eye for directing is keen, the sets in Boston were perfect and the music was right. However, as the story ended (with the ubiquitous "surprise" twist), I was left wanting something more. The script seemed to fall apart and the denouement was like falling off a cliff.
Mystic River is a good film, but not top of the pack. Recommended for repeat viewings if you are huge Eastwood fan, or if you want to have the 3-disc DVD collector's edition for all the extras.
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