Clint Eastwood is known as something of a rarity in Hollywood today. As a director, he sticks to being minimalist in an age of over-done, computer-animated filmmaking. From "Unforgiven" to "The Bridges of Madison County," he makes it easier for the audience to be a part of his world. He allows the audience to relate to the characters in a realistic manner. His latest film, "Mystic River," is certainly no different, proving how talented a filmmaker he can be. It is his greatest achievement since the 1992 Best Picture Oscar winner, "Unforgiven.""Mystic River," filmed beautifully by Tom Stern, is set in a blue collar Boston neighborhood. It is filled with drunks, crooks and sadness. Eastwood brilliantly shows the audience what life is like for these hardworking, average Americans. Poorly kept-up houses, rusted cars and dirty sidewalks inundate the characters' everyday lives. The miserable setting causes two of the characters to dream of leaving the neighborhood to find a better life. The theme of escape is underlying throughout the film as each of the three main characters dreams of escaping either physically or emotionally.

The three main characters are Jimmy, Dave, and Sean, who were best friends as kids. While the three kids are writing their names in wet cement, Dave is kidnapped. One kidnapper appears to be a cop and the other a priest. The men brutally molest him and when he finally escapes he is never the same, resulting in a weakening of the bond between him and his friends.

The film glosses forward to the present day when all three men are much older. Dave (Tim Robbins of "Antitrust") is an alcoholic still traumatized by his childhood. Jimmy (Sean Penn of "I Am Sam") is an ex-convict who now owns a corner store and is also a very prominent figure in the community. Sean (Kevin Bacon of "Hollow Man") is a state police officer whose wife recently left him. All of these men come together once again when Jimmy's daughter is brutally murdered. Sean is assigned to and many accuse Dave of being the culprit.

The film is much more than a simple whodunit, however. It is a complex study of the mind when tragedy occurs. It shows how Dave copes with his constant flashbacks to the four days when he was held captive as a child. Jimmy has to cope with the loss of his oldest daughter and the lengths he will go to get revenge. Sean has to find out who is the murderer while dealing with a wife who left him but constantly calls and says nothing. Also, Dave's wife Celeste (Marcia Gay Harden of "Pollock") is unsure about her husband's actions and cannot stand by her husband as Jimmy's wife Annabeth (Laura Linney of "the Mothman Prophecies") does.

The film is beautifully supported by Eastwood's own eerie score. The screenplay is adapted by Brian Helgeland from the novel by Dennis Lehane. Helgeland is experienced with adapting screenplays as he also penned the Oscar-winning screenplay for "L.A. Confidential." His work is shown using Eastwood's directing and it makes for a perfect piece of film. Joel Cox edits each frame of film so as to make it effortless to watch - a typical Eastwood preference. As a result, the viewer will be enthralled in the film without having to look at any outrageous cuts or effects.

Eastwood is back to his old form, and from the looks of his latest film, he could very well receive further recognition from the Academy. The performances by Robbins, Penn,and Harden should certainly not be ignored around Oscar season as they are some of the finest of the year. Penn, especially as the father of the deceased perfectly portrays what any father would do if his child was taken from him. In one scene, he is at the funeral home and asks to see his daughter's dead body. He whispers to her that revenge is in order and promises to find her killer. His performance is true cinematic brilliance by one of the greatest actors of our time.