Three childhood friends are affected for life when one of them is kidnapped and taken away as an 11-year old and abused by two men pretending to be cops for four days before escaping. Thirty years later, all three are still living in the same neighborhood, one as a loving father and husbandnamed Jimmy played by Sean Penn, the other as a cop (Kevin Bacon) and the third as a confused, scarred man(Tim Robbins), also married with a kid. When the daughter of Jimmy is found murdered, it's up to his cop friend, Sean, to figure out who committed the murder. What at first seems like a straightforward case turns out to be a lot more complicated. Kinda like my bad attempt at explaining this story.

This is a leisurely paced, intense,sad but ultimately, fulfilling movie. It features flawless acting, especially Sean Penn, who confirms that when it comes to grieving, there aren't many out there who can channel it better than he can, effective directing by a man who's been around these parts once or twice (Clint Eastwood), an enveloping storyline that brings up one's past, love, familial responsibilities, friendship, crime/punishment, as well as a handful of solid characterizations of real people just trying to get by as the tragedies of life interfere with their hopes and dreams. One of the things that I liked most about this film was the fact that it didn't concentrate on any one person, but developed all of them enough for the audience to really get a true sense of where they were all coming from. Nobody stands out in the cast of characters, but they're all related in one way or another, much like anyone who lives in such a close-knit community. Which brings me to the film's next great point being the actual small Boston neighborhood in which most of this movie takes place. I heard that they had thought about shooting this film in Canada "on the cheap", but I'm glad that Mr. Eastwood stood his ground, because the neighborhood's aura, in fact the film's entire environment,atmosphere, really gave you a sense of another character in the proceedings.

I don't remember the last time that I got so involved in a movie and its characters. Great job by everyone involved. Loved the Savage brothers as well...I wouldn't wanna meet them in a dark alley! I also would have liked a little more development on Kevin Bacon's character's situation, even though I could see how the "less is more" quotient might apply in his case. The film deals with the brutal killing of a young girl whose father is devastated by the loss and the rippling effect of that event upon everyone who knew her.In the end, this film has got almost all of its elements perfectly lined up to create a powerful drama about one's experiences as a youth and its continuing effects on each person and the human spirit.

Recommended:
Yes