"I could've helped with the dying. Death, she had to do that alone, but I coulda helped with the dying." Jimmy (Sean Penn) is twisted with grief. The mother of his oldest child died alone, while he was in prison. Years later, Katie (Emmy Rossum) his oldest daughter is savagely murdered. New grief and unresolved grief tear at Jimmy's soul as if his heart were strapped to chariots running in opposite directions. Jimmy, Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Dave (Tim Robbins) are boyhood friends who drifted apart. The murder of Katie reunites these three old friends on a journey of revelation.

Jimmy, Sean and Dave are linked by more than just their childhood. A tragic event from the past forever changed the trio, ending their bonds of closeness, but also connecting them in tragedy forever. A seemingly uncaring power singled out Dave for a brief glimpse of hell at an early age. Years later Jimmy asks Sean "What if you or I had got in the car, instead of Dave?"

"Mystic River" is a psychological character study of grief and lost innocence. The film is also one of the best mysteries to come along in quite some time. As good as the mystery is, it is overshadowed by the powerful performances by most of the cast. Sean Penn delivers the performance of his career. When I saw "The Deer Hunter" way back when, I walked out of the theater knowing that Christopher Walken was going to win the Oscar. I know the same thing about Sean Penn. Go ahead and engrave the little golden guy. Mr. Penn is a wonder to behold as the heartbroken father. He is rugged looking. There is no doubt that this man has lived a hard life. The lines on his face and neck are a roadmap to a blue-collar, hardscrabble life. I do not recommend that parents who have lost a child go see this film. I've been blessed with three healthy kids and was tormented by Jimmy's situation. There has never been a more gut-wrenching portrayal of parental grief on film.

Tim Robbins is perfect as Dave. He is a shell of a man. Dave is hounded by monsters from his past. After four days of hell, Dave ran to freedom. The sad thing is, no matter how fast he runs, he's never going to catch up with where he was before he got in the car. Acting students wanting to learn about body language should watch this film many times. Mr. Robbins uses body language to convey so many things that his character can't articulate. He too delivers an Oscar worthy performance. Robbins earns the audience's sympathy and disgust at the same time. His Dave is a semi-disabled shell of a man. He walks his son to school. Always on the lookout for monsters. He also scares his wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden). Dave returns home cut bruised and battered, the victim of a mugging he says. Dave thinks he may have killed the mugger. Of course Katie was killed the same night. Celeste begins to wonder just who her husband battered that night when no dead mugger turns up. Ms. Hardin too is remarkable as the tormented wife. She is standing in a vortex of confusion, trying to hold here family together. How willing is woman to stand by her man when she believes him to be a murderer?

Of the three leads, Kevin Bacon is given the least to do. His Sean is a homicide detective with the Massachusetts State Police. He has the hard task of letting his boyhood friend know that Katie was murdered. He also has the unenviable task of finding the killer. While Kevin Bacon is good, his character isn't developed as well as the other two leads. Sean and his partner Whitey (Laurence Fishburne) work hard to solve the case. Sean doesn't want to believe that his friend Dave is a killer, but he can't deny the logic of Whitey's arguments.

This is the best film that Clint Eastwood has directed and in which he did not appear. "Mystic River" is deliberately paced, but never slow. The film unfolds like the great novel on which it is based. You wish you could turn the pages faster, but you also want to slow down and savor the rich performances. Eastwood picks his shots well. His pacing is impeccable. I haven't seen such great use of facial close-ups since Sergio Leone passed away. Eastwood's camera captures the majesty of Sean Penn's rough-hewn features. Only the most cold-hearted of people will not be moved to tears by this film. "Mystic River" is a powerful film for adults told by an under-appreciated master of the art.

Oscar Prediction: Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins), Best Supporting Actress (Marcia Gay Hardin), Best Screenplay Adapted (Brian Helgeland) and Best Music (Clint Eastwood!). Sean Penn will win, deservedly so.

Rusty White, 2003