4. Gone Baby Gone
Patrick Kenzie: I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are. Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here take pride in these things, like it was something they'd accomplished. The bodies around their souls, the cities wrapped around those. I lived on this block my whole life; most of these people have. When your job is to find people who are missing, it helps to know where they started. I find the people who started in the cracks and then fell through. This city can be hard. When I was young, I asked my priest how you could get to heaven and still protect yourself from all the evil in the world. He told me what God said to His children. "You are sheep among wolves. Be wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves."
A heartfelt film that keeps you on the edge at all times. The movies central theme is one full of questions, questioning you ultimately of whether the right choices are being made or not. There is something about Dennis Lehane novels that seem to translate well into movies. This one is a great example for that. The story keeps me interested throughout. The acting as a whole is superb, maybe the best overall cast performance of the 2000's. Casey Affleck shows that he's got the skills to be a great actor in the years to come, and Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman bring their games as well. Truly a remarkable film.
3. Mystic River
Jimmy Markum: And it's really starting to piss me off, Dave! She's my own little daughter, and I can't even cry for her!
Dave Boyle: Jimmy, you're crying now.
Masterpiece. Years down the road a lot of people should be talking about this one. It would be a true shame if that weren't to happen. The story is fascinating, that credit goes to Lehane. The directing is phenominal, Eastwood's best behind the camera (I know I said Million Dollar Baby, but I was wrong). Sean Penn's performance will never be forgotten, and neither will the sadness of the scene shown above. Tim Robbins also gives out his best performance in my opinion. Overall, this film should be a classic down the road. Sad and depressing at times but truly an emotion-packed film that is well done.