Issue date: 10/31/03 Section: The Verge

Mystic River is a meritable film directed by actor turned auteur Clint Eastwood. Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, the movie follows three neighborhood friends who are reunited as adults in the aftermath of a family tragedy.

The plot is formula for a classic. Each of the film's characters is trying to zero in on the perpetrator of a murder, in tandem with the audience. But even more than that, "Mystic" is a character study, and as such, you couldn't ask for a more talented cast.

Kevin Bacon plays one of the friends. He's the police officer in charge of the "Mystic" murder investigation, and as such becomes the film's central character. His requisite partner is played exceedingly well by Laurence Fishburne, in a welcome break from the corny pretentiousness of his role in the Matrix series. Sean Penn and Tim Robbins make up the rest of the central cast, playing the other two friends- and they have several scenes together that are wonderfully acted and charged with emotion.

Unfortunately, though "Mystic River" is bolstered by its all-star cast, it suffers from its over-arching attempt to be an epic, as well as the underdeveloped background of its characters. Penn plays a mob boss, but we don't really get enough background on his history to get a good picture of how he became one. Kevin Bacon has a wife and a son, who we see bits of occasionally on the phone. There's a conflict between them, and Eastwood never tells us what it is, even though he resolves it haphazardly in the movie's last five minutes.

This brings me to the topic of the ending, which is definitely a sore spot. For the most part, the film unravels in remarkable style. Everything is going great, and then after a dramatic flash to white - the film goes sour. There's a marching band. Sean Penn's wife has a pre-coital monologue that makes no sense , and then the final image is an unremarkable scrolling shot of the river.

Its a shame Eastwood didn't just roll the credits after the flash. Everything that needs to be resolved is wrapped up, and the audience is pumping with adrenaline.

Even though its got its problems, I have to say I enjoyed "Mystic River", and I'd recommend it. Its inspiring to see a man like Eastwood still in artistic command, and I hope it nets him a fist full of dollars.

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