Review of Mystic River (2003) by Filipeneto — 16 Jan 2022

There are childhood friends who are inseparable and whose friendship lasts a lifetime, but I think they are exceptions. The truth, unfortunately, is that it seems difficult to maintain these friendships for so many years. As we change, as life changes us, we create and build facets of our personality that may, or may not, match well with our friends. Thus, the friends end up moving away because they don't understand each other like they used to. In addition, each one's own life course moves people away and closer, and the friends that childhood brought us will probably follow their lives away from us. I myself, thinking about my childhood, remember nostalgically the faces of those friends that I never saw again, and who followed their lives along paths that separated us. I can only hope, and wish, that they are well, wherever life has taken them.

The story follows the lives of three Boston kids named Dave, Jimmy and Sean. Their lives are marked by a day when Dave is kidnapped and subjected to horrific sexual abuses. Years later, Jimmy's eldest daughter turns up dead, after a few hours missing. The investigation, led by Sean, who became a policeman, will focus precisely on Dave, who maintains a suspicious attitude and seems to have something to hide. But Sean must hurry to find out the truth, as Jimmy is determined to take matters into his own hands.

This film talks about how life separates friendships, about how small moments can be decisive. Simple things, like getting into a car we never should have, or waiting a day before taking action. Clint Eastwood's meticulous direction combines perfectly with Helgeland and Lehane's impeccable script for a film that is truly memorable. It is a film with difficult themes, which make us think. The theme of friendship, of the way life shapes and changes us, is for me the center of the film, although it passes discreetly under another theme, which is that of sexual abuse perpetrated by pedophiles. It's a film made during the pedophilia scandal that shook Boston and its Catholic community, so it was a very current topic at the time (still is, let's face it).

The film has a luxury cast, which is fully committed to work. Sean Penn does an impeccable job, perhaps one of his best works, having rightly deserved the Oscar for Best Actor, which he got with this performance. Equally impressive, Tim Robbins could hardly have done better, also earning the highest award in the film industry. Kevin Bacon presents himself in a much more restrained and discreet register, but equally powerful and effective. Also noteworthy is the impeccable work of Marcia Gay Harden and Laura Linney, and the excellent help of Lawrence Fishburne.

Personally, I think Eastwood's films aren't the most remarkable in the most technical aspects. He is a director who knows how to privilege the story told, the work of the actors, the building of atmosphere, suspense and tension. However, being meticulous as he is, we must be aware of the effective way he uses cinematography and camera work to create tension: that scene where Dave is taken away and sees his friends left behind is simply anthology-worthy, and we don't need more words to understand what will follow in the life of that innocent character. Also the editing and mixing was done impeccably. Finally, a word for the soundtrack, which does not stand out or stay in the ear, but is perfect in the effort to create and work on suspense and dramatic tension.