Barnes & Noble

This gripping, suspenseful drama has some of the trappings of a whodunit, but Mystic River isn't a murder mystery -- it's a multilayered exploration of the human psyche that eschews easy explanations and pat answers. It's a story without readily definable heroes or villains: The principal characters are all flawed in one way or another, and they are so skillfully represented as to be recognizable and real. That's a tribute not only to the exemplary cast but also to director Clint Eastwood, whose sure-handed guidance keeps the actors sharply focused and prevents their emotionally charged performances from bubbling over with melodramatic excess. Brian Helgeland's masterful adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel begins in the working-class Boston neighborhood where ex-con Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) runs a corner grocery store. When his teenage daughter (Emmy Rossum) is found brutally murdered, Jimmy recruits his thuggish friends in an attempt to ferret out the killer and exact vengeance before homicide detective and childhood pal Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) can apprehend the culprit. Suspicion falls on another old friend, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), an emotionally crippled handyman who was abused as a child, but both Jimmy and Sean are initially reluctant to believe their former classmate capable of murder. Mystic River isn't an easy film to digest, as it often evokes tremendous pain and seems at times to wallow in tragedy. It traffics in unspoken secrets, repressed guilt, and tribal loyalties. Penn and Robbins richly deserved the Oscars they won for their portrayals, and the little gold statuettes could have been awarded to the other cast members with equal justification. One of those rare movies that stands up to repeated viewings with undiminished effect, Mystic River deserves a place in every DVD home library. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Directed by Clint Eastwood, the mysterious drama Mystic River is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane and adapted by screenwriter Brian Helgeland. Set in an Irish neighborhood in Boston, Jimmy, Sean, and Dave are three childhood friends who are reunited after a brutal murder takes place. Reformed convict Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn) and his devoted wife Annabeth (Laura Linney) find out that their teenage daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) has been beaten and killed. Jimmy's old friend Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon) is the homicide detective assigned to the case, along with partner Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne). Jimmy also gets his relatives, the Savage brothers (Adam Nelson and Robert Wahlberg), to conduct an investigation of their own. Jimmy and Sean both start to suspect their old pal, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), who lives a quiet life with his wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden) but harbors some disturbing secrets. Clint Eastwood won a Golden Coach for Mystic River at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Andrea LeVasseur

Entertainment Weekly

Eastwood directs Mystic River with an invigorated grace and gravitas. This is a true American beauty of a movie, a tale of men and their bonds told by and for adults who value the old-fashioned Hollywood-studio notion of narrative. Lisa Schwarzbaum

Chicago Sun-Times

To see strong acting like this is exhilarating. In a time of flashy directors who slice and dice their films in a dizzy editing rhythm, it is important to remember that films can look and listen and attentively sympathize with their characters. Roger Ebert

Los Angeles Times

A major American motion picture, an overpowering piece of work that involves some of the most basic human emotions: love, hate, fear, revenge, despair. Directed by Clint Eastwood with absolute confidence and remarkable control. Kenneth Turan

Product Details

• UPC: 085392772124
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 2:18:00
• Sales Rank: 9,092

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Clint Eastwood - Essential Directors

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