Mystic River

Mystic River is a dark crime drama laced with intimate character studies. With minimal music, this slow, quiet film is certainly not an adrenaline-fuelled thrill ride, but rather a serious human drama that is perhaps even more thought-provokingly powerful in its conclusion than A Perfect World. A visually simple film relying mainly on the actors and editing. The editor could have still done more, but the actors save it. (06/11/2003)

A true Clint Eastwood masterpiece and my burning candidate for the best work ever in Eastwood's entire filmography. The great thing about Mystic River is that the central crime plot is informed by the very different characters of the three main protagonists, alongside their dark childhood experiences. All three characters are also exceedingly interesting to watch as adults when, due to a sudden event, they are all forced to meet again (despite the fact that each is now completely different). It works very well as a crime drama, but the almost intimate/psychological dimension adds much more urgency to the whole story with its rising intensity. Sean Penn in particular manages to convey his character's feelings and motivations to the viewer in a unique (and very much his own) way, which, combined with Tim Robbins' equally excellent performance, pushes Mystic River far beyond the boundaries of a conventional crime story. The excellent ending, which basically just crowns a brilliantly played-out romp with all the characters, is then just the cherry on top. A genre film delicacy. (10/12/2018)

Once again, Clint works flawlessly with human emotions, from love to pure hatred, but this time it's not so much to his credit as to all the excellent actors who play such an atmospheric and chillingly patient game that the depressing finale made me want to scream and quickly shake it all off. Unfortunately, the compelling and simply-framed psychological storyline fights too hard for attention with the detective plot, which rings a bit hollow and is ultimately not as crucial to the story as the frequency of all the interrogations and new leads might suggest. Other than the aforementioned finale, there aren’t any wow-sequences that would be permanently etched in our memories, the kind Eastwood usually delivers aplenty in his masterpieces, so I have no choice but to bring up Sean Penn and Tim Robbins again, without whom this time it wouldn't have been quite the same – but Clint probably knew who to cast :))) 80% (09/07/2011)

An intimate psychological thriller that relies on a very talented cast and the reliable, experienced direction of Clint Eastwood. It's not a film that would cause a revolution in cinema or bring me to ecstasy with its execution, but on the other hand, it has no significant flaws and represents a solid above-average in its genre. Overall impression: 75%. (28/12/2007)

A very impressive work that has artfully combined the virtues of psychological drama and detective story, with the blending of the two genres in a very gritty finale being one of the greatest pros of Eastwood's film. The first part feels rather clumsy and takes on revolutions more than laboriously, but in the end, thanks mainly to Sean Penn, the narrative engine kicks in successfully, and as the minutes progress, Mystic River becomes a truly magnetizing spectacle, which, while not surprisingly deep in storytelling or extremely masterful direction, amounts to only honest and interesting narratives, great acting performances and emotional moments. The strength of the story lies primarily in the central three-petal, in the internal dilemmas and scars that protagonists have carried with them since childhood and which influence their actions... Unbalanced, but excellent. (25/07/2005)