If you read my non-column review for MYSTIC RIVER then you already know that I'm a big fan of this Clint Eastwood drama, but I wanted to encourage those of you who haven't seen it to catch it while it's still playing in theaters. The film has already broken 40 million to date, which is impressive for a low-key, character-driven drama, but with the current state of the Oscars it needs to keep going in order to have a good chance at landing a Best Picture nod.

Between his performance in MYSTIC RIVER and 21 GRAMS, Sean Penn is pretty much a lock to get nominated and will probably end up winning (he's certainly paid his dues over the years), as long as voters can agree to vote for one performance over the other if he gets nominated for both. The same can be said for Eastwood's beautifully restrained direction, which not only nails an appropriate mood for the film but also respects the audience. Plus, we know the Academy likes Eastwood, as he won Best Director and Best Picture for UNFORGIVEN back in March of 1993.


Getting left behind in all of this Oscar talk is Tim Robbins, who contributes one of the best performances of his career and gives the film that important edge of uncertainty. In fact, I'd say Robbins performance is the most important to the story overall, because if we don't believe him we wouldn't care about anything that happens.

I don't want to beat a dead horse and continue to go on about a film I already reviewed, but what's truly remarkable is the number of little things that come together. Laura Linney, for example, doesn't have a great deal of screen-time as Penn's wife, but there's one scene towards the end where she's asked to step up to the plate, and she not only delivers, she hits it out of the park. The more I think about MYSTIC RIVER, the more I'm able to appreciate how understated and intelligent it is. Go see it.

Posted November 19, 2003 | link