Mystic River (2003)

Nominee

Okay I would like to use this film to clarify something that I feel would be confusing if I were following my blog. In some of the posts I say that the director focuses too much on the message and not the story and in others I say that straight up story telling is not ideal. So how does a director win you might ask? Well by being Clint Eastwood. But if you can't be Clint Eastwood then you just need to find the balance he finds in this film.

We have here an insightful commentary on the lifestyle of people in this particular area of Boston's working class society. However it is seen through the lens of three men who were once childhood friends and were separated by a specific event, and who are brought back together by the murder of one of their daughters. They all take on the only roles that living in a town full of crime can take you: Dave, the forever damaged victim of crime, Jimmy, the rash and passionate man who takes the "if you can't beat them join them approach" and becomes a local criminal, and Sean, who becomes a cop to try to fight out the corruption. So yes he tells this story but how to show the message within without being overbearing or cheesy?

One way Eastwood does this is by repetition. The movie opens of a shot of two men talking on a porch out back. Later we have a shot of Dave and Sean on a similar if not the same porch. This alludes to the fact that people are stuck in this town, there are not many options and you will repeat the generation before you because you have no choice. Another good example is the two shots of Dave driving away in the car as a child and as an adult. He gives us the same angle so that the second time we see it we remember the first. By doing that he brought forth the unfortunate circumstance in a subtle way but he also banked on the intelligence of his audience to remember.

He also gave us shots that speak without words. These are my favorites! One example: during the parade when the women make eye contact. We see a certain pitying and disdain in each other's eyes. Nothing is said by the actors in words but the shot tells us what we need to know.

The acting was great. We have Sean Penn who is obviously cocky but good. Tim Robbins, (SHAWSHANK GUY!!...thats what I thought when I saw him anyway) who was believable in his victim aspects and his anger. And lastly, we have Kevin Bacon, I feel like this guy is an unsung hero of Hollywood. If you want your film to be a success cast Kevin Bacon in it. Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney also gave respectable performances.

The only thing that was occasionally a little off was the script. If you already said it in the shot we don't need it said on screen. Some lines felt a little superfluous.

Overall: Thanks you Clint Eastwood for the first film this month that I enjoyed (beside Harry Potter). Here is a story that is told with insight that also gives some of the responsibility to the audience. That is how to do drama!