:: Saturday, October 18, 2003 ::

I saw "Mystic River" last night.
This is the Best Picture so far this year.
Clint Eastwood has directed, in the later part of his life, a masterpiece of unparalleled quality and unflinching emotion. The story of three friends who suffer an emotional and indelible separation early in their lives when one of them, Dave, played in "later life" by Tim Robbins, is molested, the movie is a straightforward and unblinking look at a lot of Eastwood's motifs from earlier films, yet culminates in a career milestone, even for a director who has already won an Oscar for the gut wrenching "Unforgiven" in 1993.
While last weeks "movie of the week" "Kill Bill" is relentless in it's bloody revenge engine driven plot, it is ultimately and admittedly cartoonish. Eastwood's "River" is heartrenderingly "real". The one murder which drives the plot started a flood of tears to well up and gush over me, causing me to wipe my glasses numerous times. The buzz on Robbins, who plays completely against the "type" to which he usually is cast, has overlooked the rare gem of a performance of this piece. And this is a film (sans the director, who does not have a role) with excellent performances all around. The Oscar should go to Sean Penn, whose performance gives chills as the "hardcase" of the group, Jimmy. I would say that his performance supersedes mere "acting". I felt each and every moment with him as if I were feeling his feelings myself.
Kevin Bacon, as Sean, the third of the friends, is a marvel as well, in a different way, with a mannered performance. Clint doesn't show up as another actor (a la Woody Allen in "Bullets Over Broadway" in John Cusak's performance.) Bacon is a cop, but he certainly isn't Dirty Harry. No squinting or histrionic outbursts here.
Credit should be given to Eastwood, who is a true "actor's director", to the complete cast including Morpheus (I mean Laurence Fishburne), Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney, who all play characters they have not played before. And the city of Boston is a character as well. I'm so glad Clint insisted that the movie be shot on location. His earlier location work on the overlooked gem "Midnight In the Garden Of Good and Evil" (Savannah, Georgia) was equally impressive and wonderfully shot. Tom Stern shot "Mystic River", and is no stranger to Eastwood's ouvere, having photographed not only "Unforgiven", but "A Perfect World" and "Bird" among other works of art by the director.
The film is dark, both in tone, and in the way it is shot. The characters are "normal", but deeply flawed, as with a lot of Eastwood, specifically William Munny and John Wilson, the director (based on John Huston) in "White Hunter, Black Heart."
Best Picture. Best Actor for Sean Penn.
Best Supporting for either Laura or Marcia Gay. (Marcia's won, so let's give it to Laura.)
Lot's of interesting films coming up. I loved "Lost In Translation" Sofia Coppola's second film, although haven't written about it in the blog yet, I don't believe. I loved Bill Murray's performance, and it is very good, and deserving of a nomination. I have a suspicion I'll love Tom Cruise in "The Last Samaruai" too, but right now, Sean Penn's aching realism, and unflinching emotion has bowled me over.
I have to mention that the screenplay by Brian Hegeland is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. I didn't read the book. I only saw the excellent preview for the movie a few months back, and marvelled at the acting.
Excellence.
On all counts.

I was thinking when Bob Hope died that the world lost an icon. Same with Gregory Peck. Same with Kate Hepburn. Then I thought of Clint. He's not ancient, like Hope. He's still working. Hell, "Blood Work" is vintage Clint. Even though nobody saw it! But someday hopefully not for a decade or so, when Clint Eastwood passes from us, I will feel as if a special friend has left. I implore anyone who wants to see a chronological view of the cultual and political history of America to buy and watch in order the Dirty Harry DVD collection.

Clint Eastwood, Rowdy Yates, The Man With No Name, Dirty Harry, Director.
A true movie God!!!!!!! And he saw to it that "Mystic River" was good.

:: Michael Nyiri 10:09 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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