It’s time for my Mystic River blu-ray review having watched all of the films that Clint Eastwood has starred in to date but not all of the ones he has directed. One film in particular I missed out on was the crime drama Mystic River from 2003.
The cast is pretty strong with Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishbourne starring to name just a few.
- Mystic River (2003)
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- Directed by Clint Eastwood
- UK Rating 15
- Discs: 1
- Released By Warner Bros
- Blu-ray Released: 8 February 2010
Plot
Three boys Jimmy, Sean and Dave are playing hockey in a street in Boston when a car draws up and orders one of them to get in. Following this event their lives are never the same. Skip forward several years and the three are now adults with their lives taking very different paths.
Jimmy runs a store, Sean is now a police detective and Dave seems trapped by the past. However following a murder the three former childhood friends are thrust back together.
Style / Direction
Mystic River as I mention earlier is a film directed by Clint Eastwood. Tom Stern was tasked with handling the cinematography. Eastwood films are all very well made in my opinion and Mystic River is no exception. He skilfully gets on with allowing the characters and story to unfold in a natural way. The film is extremely well shot and has a stylish feel. In fact I had no real complaints with the direction.
Music / Audio Effects
Interestingly Clint Eastwood also provides the music for the movie and it fits rather well.
Acting / Characters
Sean Penn plays Jimmy, Kevin Bacon is Sean and Tim Robbins plays Dave. Their lives could not be more different. Jimmy has done time and now runs a local store, whilst Sean is now a police detective. That leaves Dave and following that incident in his childhood is the one still disturbed by those events.
The acting is simply amazing and I really recommend giving this film a look just for those performances alone.
Cast
- Sean Penn as James “Jimmy” Markum
- Jason Kelly as young Jimmy Markum
- Tim Robbins as Dave Boyle
- Cameron Bowen as young Dave Boyle
- Kevin Bacon as Detective Sean Devine
- Connor Paolo as young Sean Devine
- Laurence Fishburne as Detective Sergeant Whitey Powers
- Marcia Gay Harden as Celeste Samarco Boyle
- Laura Linney as Annabeth Markum
- Tom Guiry as Brendan Harris
- Spencer Treat Clark as “Silent Ray” Harris Jr.
- Andrew Mackin as John O’Shea
- Emmy Rossum as Katie Markum
- Jenny O’Hara as Esther Harris
- Kevin Chapman as Val Savage
- Adam Nelson as Nick Savage
- Robert Wahlberg as Kevin Savage
- Cayden Boyd as Michael Boyle
- John Doman as Driver
- Tori Davis as Lauren Devine
- Jonathan Togo as Pete
- Will Lyman as FBI Special Agent Birden
- Ari Graynor as Eve Pigeon
- Ken Cheeseman as Dave’s Friend in Bar
- Michael McGovern as 1975 reporter
Conclusion: Mystic River (2003) Film Review
With a cast as strong as this you might hope for something special to occur and it does. The film begins with three friends as children, Jimmy, Sean and Dave. Following a serious incident things between the three are never the same again. The film then skips forward to the adult versions of these characters to a time where a murder takes place which brings the three back together.
In some ways the film creates a similar feeling as Stephen King’s Stand By Me or It. That said the story is a compelling one and certainly has you unsure whether one of the central characters’s is lying and trying to cover something up.
It really is a must see movie and one I cannot speak highly enough about.
If you’ve enjoyed my Mystic River blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
Conclusion: Mystic River Blu-ray Review
The picture quality is excellent as you would expect from a Warner Bros blu-ray release.
Extras
- Commentary by Tim Robbins & Kevin Bacon
- Dennis Lehane Tours the Boston Neighbourhood
- The Charlie Rose Show Interviews with Clint Eastwood, Tim Robbins & Kevin Bacon
- Theatrical Trailers
Mystic River (2003) Blu-ray
Mystic River (2003) blu-ray is available now from Amazon.
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Popcorn Cinema Movie Rating: Mystic River (2003)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
EXTRAS: GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Mystic River (2003) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my Mystic River blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more Clint Eastwood movies soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: Mystic River (2003) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: Mystic River (2003)
Duration: 138 mins
Director(s): Clint Eastwood
Actor(s): Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne
Genre: Crime, Drama
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
Another fabulous film from director Clint Eastwood
Pros
Directed by Clint Eastwood Fabulous Cast Compelling Story
Cons
None
