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Mystic River Blu-ray
Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Based on the Dennis Lehane mystery
Originally released 2003
Warner Home Entertainment 2010
137 minutes

Finally on Blu-ray, Mystic River is the superb screen adaptation of the Dennis Lehane mystery novel. Unlike what was done to another Lehane adaptation, Gone Baby Gone, this one respects the book, the characters, and the tone. Director Clint Eastwood (who also scored the movie) obviously read the book and liked it enough to respect it. Both Sean Penn (Best Actor) and Tim Robbins (Best Supporting Actor) won Oscars their performance here. The movie was also nominated in almost all the other Best categories. The Mystic River Blu-ray version is worth it, especially at under 20 dollars.

Sean Penn won an Oscar for his performance as Jimmy Markum, a South Boston hood whose daughter is murdered. Tim Robbins, who plays childhood pal Dave, won Best Supporting Actor for the same movie. Kevin Bacon is excellent as another childhood friend now a State cop. The three men’s lives collide together during the investigation of the murder.

Mystic River is superb, complex psychological drama and mystery. Every scene counts and works, The supporting actors, including Laurence Fisburne as the other cop and Marcia Gay Harden as Dave’s wife, are perfect. The movie was filmed in South Boston, giving it that much more authenticity.

The one moment which lacks authenticity here is the opening scene where young Dave is the goalie in a street hockey game. No kid who knows anything about hockey would hold the goalie stick like that.

Special features are the same as the 3 DVD set but without the soundtrack CD. They include an actually interesting commentary track with stars Tim Robins and Kevin Bacon. Robins is especially insightful. Also included are two documentary: “Mystic River: Beneath the Surface” (23 min.)  and “Mystic River: From Page to Screen” (11 min.) and three segments from  “The Charlie Rose Show”:  Interview: Clint Eastwood (42 min.) Interview: Tim Robbins (50 min.) Interview: Kevin Bacon (19 min.)