Review

Review Date: 26-October-03
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Mystic River (2003)

I almost never read modern novels. As with all things in this world, they generally lack any trace of subtlety, the prevailing notion among media moguls being that if it isn't instantly lurid, violent, sexy, quack inspirational, or asinine, it simply isn't interesting. Because of this, I doubt I would like Dennis Lehane's best-selling book "Mystic River," the plot of which shows evidence of the author's desire to placate the twin gods of shock and schlock. However, the fact that I didn't question the integrity of the story while I was watching it on the big screen attests to the power of cinema and the skill of director Clint Eastwood and his cast. "Mystic River," the film, is a gripping, perfectly paced drama-cum-whodunit that elevates its potentially trite and sensational themes to the realm of art.

The story revolves around three men who grew up in a lower-middle-class Boston neighborhood (and in one way or another, still haunt it). As children, their lives were marked when one of them was kidnapped from his very doorstep and repeatedly molested. Now fully grown, the men begin to feel the latent repercussions of this incident when the daughter of one of them (Sean Penn) turns up murdered. As Penn's character turns to the associates of his lawless past to hunt down her killer, another of the childhood friends (Kevin Bacon) appears as the investigating cop on the case. Through various twists and turns, their simultaneous inquiries lead them to the final old chum (Tim Robbins), who is covering up a recent act of violence that may be connected to the murder, and is certainly connected to the abuse he suffered as a child. A tragedy cloaked in a mystery, "Mystic River" offers enough personal history and motivation to explore themes of pain, duty, character, and family while keeping the audience guessing.

The subject of child abuse always sends up red flags for me; not only am I horrified at the thought, but I have zero tolerance for people who use it for spice or titillation. Yet Eastwood announces at the opening of "Mystic River" that he intends to respect both his characters and his viewers. The abduction of the boy is presented in a frank but non-graphic manner, and all subsequent references to it unequivocally proclaim that such a crime is an evil of catastrophic and far-reaching significance. Thus, while the movie suffers a bit from attempting to relate the abduction to the later troubles of all three men, the overall notion of a loss of innocence provides a potent backdrop to every aspect of the tale.

Eastwood's dedication to the heart of the story instead of its trappings is reflected in the movie's strong sense of place; while the actors' Boston accents don't always stay true, the feeling of community binding the characters together remains constant. In addition, he uses a minimum of music, refusing to provide all the emotional cues, and elicits and showcases natural performances from his cast. Penn (who, I must say, is aging really well) displays his usual powerhouse talent in the central role, forcing the viewer to run the gamut from compassion to fear to anger as his character grieves, rages, and then steels himself for retribution. Robbins efficiently tackles the difficult job of portraying a suspect unraveling on the inside, while Bacon delivers a refreshingly no-nonsense performance enhanced by a commanding Laurence Fishburne as his partner. Although the women (Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney) are largely incidental, some of the other supporting characters manage to leave a mark, especially Tom Guiry as the dead girl's forbidden lover.

As with most films, particularly ones that rely on suspense, "Mystic River" stumbles at the end, adding a strange element out of left field (involving Penn's wife), and tying up a loose end with an absurdly neat little bow (involving Bacon's wife). But for most of its running time, it manages to harmonize a number of conceivably trashy ideas and stories in a way that, because of its quiet attentiveness, packs more wallop than the loudest or most sordid popular drama. When I think back on it, the events depicted in "Mystic River" may scandalize too much and dovetail too much for my tastes, but I did not realize this until the lights had come up and the credits had begun to roll. When style elevates substance, that's good moviemaking.

Copyright © 2003 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.