Mystic River (2003) – Encore Review

“Maybe some day you forget what it’s like to be human and maybe then, it’s ok. ” – Dave Boyle

Number of Times Seen – At least 5 times (Theater in 2003, cable, DVD, 10 Mar 2014 and 3 Sep 2022)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – Three friends who shared a childhood trauma are reunited as adults when the daughter of one of them is found murdered.

My Take on it – Such an amazing crime thriller that works so well.

The cast is superb with Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins all giving exceptional performances here.

Clint Eastwood was able to make a masterful movie of this novel and keep it thrilling from start to finish.

This movie is further proof of how great a director he is.

The way that things play out is amazingly done and the various twists and turns become even more poignant as things unfold.

This movie unfortunately came out in the wrong year, because it didn’t stand a chance at most of it’s Oscar nominations against the juggernaut of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) which swept 11 categories.

It did manage to still win 2 of its 6 Oscar nominations for Penn and Robbins in the two acting categories.

The story is told exceptional well and shows how complex life is for all of these characters following their childhood trauma that changed their lives forever.

The film explores some amazing themes including friendship, memories and the fears that we all carry around with us.

Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Eli Wallach claimed that he filmed his scene in one take and without a single word of direction from Clint Eastwood, who had such confidence in his acting that merely knowing his lines would be enough. (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)