Is a performance any worse because it has the all the usual things that we consider awards bait? – crying…shouting…loud shows of anger…? I think the obvious answer is no, but what else can we hold against this brilliant performance? Why should we hold anything against it? (Spoilers ahead, duh)
#9 Sean Penn in Mystic River (2003)
An actor always has a specific scene in their performance that grows into the pivotal one in the film. It’s become known as the Oscar scene and often the rest of the performance is assessed from the perspective of that scene. For Sean Penn here, that scene has his discovery of his daughter’s death. I always remember it vividly, even when I haven’t seen it in a while: the foreboding confusion as he draws near, then the tormented look of realisation and that horrifying scream of anguish. It’s easy to look at it and accuse him of overacting or of hamming it up but that’s an injudicious accusation I feel. Each of the three men, in some way, is emotionally stunted and Jimmy’s line of work demands that he be staunch and cold on the exterior but there always seem to be something at work in Sean’s head, as if something is building and the reaction here seems completely accurate.
I said in my review of it that Mystic River really is not a comfortable film, and it's hard not to come out hating many of the characters. The final scenes between Penn and Tim Robbins are some of the most harrowing scenes of the last decade and only become more morose after we've been giving all the facts. Sean Penn is no newbie at playing these difficult characters, though, so I suppose Jimmy is not really a great departure for him. He has a talent for moving line-readings. I always remember theending of the film when Sean comes up to Jimmy, he suspects what's happened. He asks: So Jimmy when was the last time you saw Jimmy? and the answer he gives: The last time I saw Dave...that was twenty five years ago, going up this street, in the back of that character. Regardless of how you feel about Jimmy's actions that line always moves me, and even though the end of the film belongs to another actor Sean makes an indelible mark on the film.
I can’t say why Sean Penn has become such a underrated actor. He gave one of the most brilliant performances of the last twenty years in Dead Man Walking and although he didn’t top that feat in Mystic River, it was still a formidable attempt. In some ways it’s as if he was born to play Jimmy – the harsh physicality juxtaposed with the unexpected bouts of emotion. It’s a difficult role to pull off and Penn does it excellently. I can’t fault his performance here.
But do you agree? Was Sean Penn excellent here?
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