The film begins many years ago and shows three friends, Dave, Jimmy and Sean outside their homes in Boston. Some pedophiles arrive and pretend to be cops and they kidnap and rape Dave...who, fortunately, is able to eventually escape.

Years pass and the three men are grown. Jimmy (Sean Penn) is a family man whose youngest is about to take her first communion. However, he and the family don't realize that his oldest has been brutally murdered. When he learns of this, he vows revenge.

At about the same time, Dave (Tim Robbins) returns home very late. He's bloody and cut...and his story about attacking a mugger seems contrived. There also is a boyfriend of the dead girl...and he has some 'splaining to do. And, there are a couple detectives who are investigating all this and one of them is Sean (Kevin Bacon). What really did happen? Who really is at fault? And, will the police get to them before Jimmy and his thug friends?

"Mystic River" is occasionally tough to watch, as it deals with child sexual abuse, murder and extreme violence. It's also quite grim. Because of this, you should consider all this before watching the film. This being said, it is a very good film and features some amazing acting...so if you're up to it, by all means give the film a look. I appreciate not only the acting but all the false leads and clues...and the viewer will not so easily piece it all together.

Eastwood's expert direction and wonderful performances from the three leads make MYSTIC RIVER a drama worth watching. The film is made up of three interlocking sections, each represented by one of the leads. Kevin Bacon supplies the lesser police procedural aspects of the movie, Tim Robbins lends plenty of mystery to a whodunit plot, and Sean Penn is at the heart of the family drama-cum-tragedy.

The film is unpredictable throughout and slowly paced, taking its time to get to grips with the storyline instead of rushing through the plot. Never once does it feel boring. The attention to technical detail is spot on as you'd expect, and the mood finely judged throughout. It takes actors and a director of rare talent to make a movie this compelling, but in the case of MYSTIC RIVER everything comes together in a film that never disappoints.

In 1975 Boston, Jimmy Markum, Dave Boyle and Sean Devine are stopped by a supposed policeman after they mark up the sidewalk. Dave is taken by the two men. He manages to escape after days of sexual abuse. In the present, Dave (Tim Robbins) is a troubled father. Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a police detective whose wife has left him. Ex-criminal Jimmy (Sean Penn) is a father of three. His daughter Katie is found dead. Sean and Whitey Powers (Laurence Fishburne) investigate. Dave was supposedly cut by a mugger that night and his odd behavior starts making him a suspect in the eyes of Jimmy and his friends.

These are big time actors here doing crazy good acting. There isn't a weak one in the bunch. The boyfriend could be better but he's a secondary character. Clint Eastwood does his minimalist directing which allows these actors to showcase their natural skills. The movie gets the sense of a place and the feel of compelling characters. It's great.