DVD Review: Mystic River

Viewers will experience the deep intensity and nuances of the amazing performances in Clint Eastwood’s searing ensemble drama Mystic River, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney and Emmy Rossum when it arrives on Blu-ray February 2 from Warner Home Video. Mystic River took two Academy Awards (2003), for Sean Penn (Best Actor) and Tim Robbins (Best Supporting Actor).

With six times higher resolution than standard definition, Blu-ray’s extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound is bound to enhance Mystic River’s visceral emotions and dark brooding backgrounds. Eastwood magnificently directed this contemporary tragedy filled with violence, tension and long-buried emotions which are never far from the surface. In Blu-ray format, all the tragic events of this amazing drama become amplified as the images jump off the screen.

Review:
With an amazing all-star cast, it doesn’t take much more than just looking at the DVD case to realize that this is going to be a good film. It’s not exactly a new movie, but it is new to Blu-ray which means that you’re going to get some extra special features including commentary by Tim Bobbins and Kevin Bacon and a number of featurettes from Dennis Lehane touring the Boston neighborhood setting of his novel to ‘Mystic River: From Page to Screen’. In all honesty though, they could have beefed up extras a little bit more.

Dave, Jimmy, and Sean are three friends that have drifted apart after a horrible tragedy. Several years later, some rather brutal events bring them back together. Jimmy’s daughter (played by the beautiful Emmy Rossum) has been murdered in cold blood. To make matters worse – Dave is suspect. And Sean, now a cop, must get the crime solved before Jimmy takes matters into his own hands. The film is based off of Dennis Lehane’s novel by the same name.

It’s not your typical crime-drama. The script is fantastic – and the acting is superb. Sean Penn won the Oscar for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor went to Tim Robbins for their roles. I can’t say as I’ve seen a bad film directed by Clint Eastwood. He does a fabulous job here as he has done in all of his projects since.

I hadn’t seen the film before reviewing this release – if you haven’t seen it yet – definitely check it out on Blu-ray. It’s a powerful and moving story that will haunt you long after it ends.

Review by Emma Loggins

Grade: A
Official site: http://www.warnerblu.com
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