Those who say Sean Penn is one of America's finest actors are exactly right. But those who say one of his best performances is screaming & falling down in Mystic River upon learning his daughter is dead have got it exactly wrong.
That whole scene could be improved greatly by turning off the sound, it was pure scenery-chewing, too far over the top to carry the least conviction, & Clint needed to reshoot it with instructions to Sean to "This time, try acting."
But apart from that brow-wrinkling lame-o scene, the rest of the film was all too convincing, with great performances all-round, most especially by Tim Robbins.
The unjust climax of the thing made me feel really, really bad. And frankly the usual Hollywood happy endings to things frequently leave me feeling nothing. Mystic River is a moving as well as disturbing film.
copyright © by Paghat the Ratgirl
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