Sean Penn delivers an Oscar caliber performance as a tormented father trying to track down his daughter’s murderer. Kevin Bacon has a rare serious turn as Penn’s former boyhood friend who is now the cop assigned to the investigation. Bacon has his hands full between leading the hunt for the killer and attempting, sometimes with futility, to reign in the Penn character. Laurence Fishburne is steady as always as Bacon’s partner and Laura Linney is the rock of the family as Penn’s wife in a subtly nuanced role. Tim Robbins acting stands out almost as much a s Penn’s. He’s the third childhood friend whose wrong decision all those years ago when the three of them were playing in the street leads Robbins on a torturous path to self-destruction, helped along a bit by Penn. Mystic River is a spine tingling thriller and Eastwood has outdone himself with this top notch piece of entertainment. Enjoy the show!