Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, the film tells the story of three childhood friends, whose lives change dramatically after one of them are kidnapped. Thirty years later another tragedy will bring the three together, one last time.
Description
Mystic River tells the story of three childhood friends -- Jimmy (Academy Award-Winner Sean Penn), Dave (Academy Award-Winner Tim Robbins) and Sean (Kevin Bacon; Hollow Man). They're like any other kids, playing hockey in the streets of Boston. But when Dave is kidnapped and molested by two pedophiles, their lives all go in different directions (especially Dave's).
We cut to thirty years later and things are much different. Jimmy is an ex-con, who runs a local store in their old neighborhood. Sean is now a detective and Dave is a handyman. All are married. Jimmy is married to his second wife Annabeth (Laura Linney; The Mothman Prophecies), Dave is married to Celeste (Academy Award-Nominee Marcia Gay Harden) and Sean is married to an unseen, pregnant wife, who calls from time to time, only never speaking.
Then one day, Jimmy's daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum; The Day After Tomorrow) is murdered. Assigned to the case is Sean and Whitey (Laurence Fishburne; The Matrix). Katie's boyfriend Brendan is quickly a suspect, but so is Dave, after coming home in the middle of the night, covered in blood, telling his wife that it was a mugger, that he may have killed. As the story evolves, the more you suspect Dave.
The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, is a dark, brutal film, which gives no easy answers. The ending is just about as dark as the whole atmosphere of the entire film. Sean Penn gives a powerful performance, gaining his first Academy Award with good reason. Tim Robbins is even more disturbing, as a dark, mentally and physically abused child, who's still dealing with his own inner-demons as an adult. Marcia Gay Harden also gives a superb performance as Dave's wife. She's very suspicious and very dark (much like Robbins' character) and just fits her role perfectly.
All in all, this film (in my opinion) was the best film of 2003 (even surpassing Lost In Translation, 21 Grams and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). You can't go wrong with this film, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good drama, with wonderful acting and directing.
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