In my 10 scale “Mystic River” gets an 8 for excellent acting and an intriguing story-line. Sean Penn and Tim Robbins (Gideon) brought an outstanding flavor to a suspenseful murder case. This is the story of three friends who through the murder of one daughter unite in search of truth. But truth has a tasteless end sometimes. This makes my top 50 list for sure.
I must have been on crack, for I wonder if I was watching the same movie as you did. I thought Mystic River was a waste of the time it took to watch it. I agree that there were moments of good acting, but the storyline was bland and dragging (It was good for an hour long show – did Law and Order miss their chance here?)- I never read the reviews for the film, no doubt it was a collective rave – of course we all know the reliability of such reviews.
Anonymous = kletois.
Klet, You missed some great concepts in the movie. One, there was the tragic reality of human nature exposed. Two, there was the emotional tie of a parent to his child. Three, there was the trauma of a man who lived years dealing with the misery of an incident and how it affected the rest of his life. Four, the accurate portrayal of New York life (cultural dimension). Five, you have the mystery. Six, you see the concept of marital loyalty in the case of the cop. Seven, the consequences of an emotionally led murder. Finally, the unexpected revelation of the true killer in the end. Man, maybe you were on crack.