I used to like old cowboys very much and regarded them as gods. But after watching a lot of his movies, I can only say that he is a respectable filmmaker, with good acting skills and a medium-to-high level of directing. Although his films are very much in line with the tastes of the judges of various film festivals, they also discuss relatively deep themes, and the things they shoot seem to have a certain depth. But there is a big flaw in his films, that is, many of the so-called profound themes he wants to express are his own wishful thinking, either out of touch with reality or a little one-sided, always giving people a kind of unspoken or An unconvincing feeling. "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," and "The Covered Bridge" all have this common problem more or less.
I thought "Mystic River" wanted to express the law of the jungle shown in the cruel real world, which is actually not wrong, and I think the scale is also appropriate (although many people find it difficult to accept). When it comes to scale, the ancients called those who steal hooks to be punished, and the princes who steal the country have already explained the problem. In the name of "Mystic River", I think what the director wants to tell us is that life is a mysterious river, which is full of all kinds of cruelty, and the time of life is like the water of a river, which will eventually wash away everything.
When it comes to acting, I actually think it's all good, there are no major flaws, and the supporting roles are relatively smooth, so the film is a bit lengthy (the usual style of the old cowboy), and it looks a bit like a documentary film. Sean Pan's Zhang Chi, Tim Robbins' neuroticism, and Kevin Bacon's entanglement are generally remarkable. Many people scolded Sean after watching it, which shows that they played well. As a tough guy, his father is mixed with guilt and other emotions. The blow to him by his daughter's abnormal death made him miserable. His performance is understandable. Tim Robbins' wife is also scolded by many people. In fact, there is not much problem with her acting skills, role setting, and behavior. It's just that if you look at it more rationally, it's a little bit less logical.
There are actually three kinds of people, one is the strong, the other is the weak, and the other is the mixed world (or the philistine life). The strong are cruel and ruthless; the weak make people feel sorry for their misfortune, and they are not in contention; If it is said that the three kinds of people are wrong, I think they are all right, although this sentence will make people scolded. But if you think about it, human nature is not like this, although it is not absolute. Being in Sean's environment, I don't think the character's reaction can be blamed. The tragedy of Tim Robbins' character comes from his own character (it's easier to be controlled, that's why the fake cop told him to get in the car, the other two didn't get in and only he got in the car), and his experience went further Destroyed him, and after being destroyed, it further led to the defects of his character. He was a weak man himself, and the cruelty of life destroyed him and made him a poor man. Therefore, his tragedy is the result of a cruel world and his own weakness. His own fault lies in his own weakness and inability to stand up from the shadows of the past. If a person cannot extricate himself from pain, then you can hardly help him. It makes sense. The role of the police is very suitable for people who are in the world. Maybe they just live in peace, don’t hurt someone, don’t help someone, or don’t sacrifice themselves. In fact, isn’t that the case with most of us? Isn't that the essence of life? So I say nothing wrong.
When it comes to the flaws in the film, I think it is the one I mentioned at the beginning, and the reasoning is so unconvincing. In fact, I think what the film wants to express (that is, the cruel laws of the jungle in the real world) is very clear, but the director just supersedes Sean's wife and makes her say the last impressive sentence. Even Cruel as Sean asked her humanely why she didn't call and tell him, but his wife said it in such a high-sounding manner, and combined with her performance when she saw Robbins' wife in the end, it made people really doubt that she was a normal person. Why don't people even have basic humanity? You must know that a person is not good for no reason, nor bad for no reason. Even if the Japanese devils burned, killed and looted in China, many people were under that kind of totalitarian pressure (I have no intention of Reversing the verdict for the aggressor); at the same time, in the ten-year movement, the husband and wife turned against each other, and the father and son became enemies. The performance of Sean's wife can almost be said to have no humanity at all. In real life, most of these people may have anti-human tendencies rather than being a loving mother (almost similar to the wife in the movie "Gone Girl"). At the same time, the interaction between Sean and his wife, as well as Sean and the police, can be said to have no humanity at all. This is illogical, and it is purely an arrangement made by the director to show dramatic tension. Also, the joy of two of the threesomes and the bleakness of the Robbins family (the Robbins wife and son) could be the reason for this. Overall, this is a good film, but the director is a bit superfluous, using too much force and going too far, which makes people feel that they have been greatly hurt after watching it. This is also a problem with the reasoning of old cowboy movies. For example, in "Million Dollar Baby", a black player hurts someone in the back. Even ordinary people know that this behavior is obviously illegal, but the director actually arranges the game in the movie and judges the violator to win. , which is by no means convincing! Domestic movies, such as Happy Twist's "Donkey Gets Water", also have this problem!
The movie starring the old cowboy, I still recommend "Western Law Enforcer". I haven't watched the Red Dead trilogy so far, so I can't comment on it.
Finally, I conclude with a netizen's evaluation of the old cowboy: his script is not as deep as Martin Scorsese (representative: Angry Bull, Taxi Driver), and his overall control of the movie is not as good as Francis Ford Coppa Ra (representative works: The Godfather, Apocalypse Now)
View more about Mystic River reviews
