Mystic River

"Mystic River" is a reasonably well-done crime thriller. Like the career of its director, Clint Eastwood, it's solid, if a bit overrated.

The plot, based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, is the strongest part of the film. Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), a Boston born and bred ex-con, is out for blood following the murder of his daughter Katie. A great deal of circumstantial evidence points to the guilt of his childhood friend, Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins). Boyle, who is still haunted by a nightmarish childhood molestation experience, is becoming mentally unhinged and struggles to defend himself. The only person who seems skeptical of Dave's guilt is Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon), another childhood friend of Boyle and Markum who is now investigating the case.

The film is an actor's showcase, and Penn and Robbins make the most of it. They provide a nice point-counterpoint, Penn's coiled rage contrasted with Robbins' withdrawn and troubled demeanor.

The trouble is that there are too many other juicy roles, including that of Boyle's wife, who believes her husband guilty, and Devine, who has separated from his wife in a rather pointless subplot. The film never gets a chance to breathe; it's constantly jumping from one scene of emotional turmoil to another.

Another problem is that Bacon lacks the chops to handle his role. When called upon to provide anger during an interrogation scene, he instead seems merely irritated. In addition, some of the line readings feel a bit rushed and rote. Laura Linney, who plays Markum's wife, has a particularly undercooked monologue at the end of the film. (However, the fault may not lie with Linney, who is quite talented. "Gran Torino," another recent Eastwood film, occasionally suffered the same problem.)

As usual, Eastwood's direction is solid but unspectacular; he does what is needed. The editing is particularly good during the climax of the film, which cuts between two scenes at just the right moments.

"Mystic River" garnered some deserved praise, including two Academy Awards: Penn for Best Actor, and Robbins for Best Supporting Actor. But it could have been a classic, if only it hadn't overplayed its hand.