Mystic River : Mind blowing Screenplay

May 26, 2010

Mystic River : Mind blowing Screenplay

Mystic River is a 2003 masterpiece directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood. It has an ensemble cast of Sean Penn (I am Sam, Milk), Tim Robbins (Shawshank Redemption) and Kevin Bacon. Though the movie begins in a very slow pace, it somehow creeps out from that melodrama feel and gives the viewer a strong feel of suspense. Somehow movies like these, with just dialogues has managed to keep me glued to my seat. The credit should go to the novelist, Clint Eastwood and his screenwriters. Not one scene I was able to get up from my chair. Sean Penn is amazing. Man!! What a performance. What a well toned body. Even with that macho look, the scenes which he cries, makes the audience feel sorry for him as well. We’ve seen Tim Robbins in various portrayals in films such as “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994), “Nothing to Lose” (1997), “War of the Worlds” (2005), etc. But this portrayal of a man haunted by his past has been a treat to watch. Each and every scene he has been a real competition to Sean Penn. I think both these performances of a frustrated ex-con who lost his daughter and a disturbed man being framed for murder by everyone surrounding him have been really exceptional. Kevin Bacon (The Hollow Man) has always done a great job. He has never disappointed me. So nothing to complain or glorify. Cinematography has been good and great at times. Lighting and camera angles have been awesome from this guy, Tom Stern. Right from "Mystic River", "Letters from Iwo Jima" to "Invictus" he has been awesome. His handheld camera work was too awesome in Invictus. Tom has been Clint’s great asset and will continue to be. Music suited the premise. It’s not the kind of soundtrack that you will be humming about. In fact you will not even remember. But for Clint to participate in so many departments of filmmaking is something extraordinary. Its not something we see often in Hollywood. The climax had the best of what Clint wanted to offer us. In fact it is one of those climaxes you can never think or even come close to. Suspense has been well handled. But I didn’t like seeing a police officer leaving a murderer scot free just because he has been a neighborhood friend. Let him be a hunk or a gang leader. But what’s the point of having police. It weakens our impression of cops. One murder is fine for commercial cinema, but even after two murders. Man.. Clint could have worked better on this. But anyway Kudos to him and his unit. It’s a great movie. It is a double Oscar winning movie. So nothing to deny the fact that it is amazing. I know it’s a pretty old movie to be seen and reviewed now, but it’s never too late.