Week 9: Mystic River

I found the movie Mystic River to be very intriguing and complicated. The plot is intense and evokes serious thought and emotion from the viewer. The opening scene alone is troubling and heart wrenching. A young boy is obviously abducted in broad daylight. The abduction, one action, changed his life forever. As the movie presses on, a young woman is killed and for a very large portion of the movie the viewer is coerced to believe that Dave (the abducted boy) has murdered this woman. The reality was a completely different scenario that, in the end, came out of left field. In one of the final scenes the viewer is vying for the Jimmy (the father of the young woman) to realize he is making a huge mistake. The acting in this movie significantly adds to the intensity of each scene. The final scene changes the viewers out look on the characters of Jimmy, his wife, Sean, and Celeste (Dave's wife). Jimmy's wife discusses his power and authority over the entire city and this discussion clearly empowers Jimmy. Sean and Celeste and Celeste and Jimmy's wife share longing looks at each other. Celeste is now alone and the viewer is made to feel bad for her but at the same time, one cannot help but think she caused the terrible distress. Finally, Jimmy and Sean share a look of secrecy; the viewer can clearly tell the have a mutual understanding of what has happened and what may possibly come in their future.