mhg83

of the two, which one do you think is better? They have a lot of similarities. Both adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel, involved missing person/murder mystery, both from the Boston area and police procedural vs private investigations. I liked mystic river more. Both are good movies but Mystic had a lot more going for it. Great direction, Superb performances, Beautiful cinematography and a memorable score. Gone Baby Gone felt like it was halfway there. It just didn't feel like it had as much heart and emotion put into it except at the end.

Trigger

Mystic River was one of the worst movies I had seen that year... I kinda liked Gone Baby Gone.

I think I'm gonna go with The Thing.

Mercury&Solace

I did not like Mystic River.
I REALLY liked Gone Baby Gone.
So....
Gone Baby Gone>>>>>Mystic River
By a long shot

PopcornTreeCt

Gone Baby Gone > Mystic River

Amy Ryan's character was more likeable than any character in Mystic River. Gone Baby Gone probably lands in somewhere in the top 10 of the decade. Mystic River not so much.

foofighters7

I cant believe what I see here..

Mystic Rivers Performances alone destroy anything in Gone Baby Gone

Mystic River by a LANNNNNNNNNNNNND SLIDEEEEEEEEEE

Sean Penns Performance is just amazing. One of the best of the past 20 years.

Nefarious

Mystic River

DonnachaOne

Mystic River has more great performances while Gone Baby Gone's actors sometimes seem overwhelmed in plot. However, Gone Baby Gone does a far better job adapting its source novel for the screen than Mystic River, ignoring the temptation to include scenes and speeches from the book even though they'd be hopelessly out of context in the film. Mystic River, despite the talent on display (and behind the camera) far too often falls into the trap of "well, people liked this in the book, so we'd better keep it in". A crude maneuver which has relegated Mystic River to deserved ridicule of parts of its script, and undeserved dismissal.

"Sometimes... I think we all got in that car..."

CKMorpheus

I liked em both, but I'll go with Mystic River.

Baby Affleck did a great job in GBG though.

The Bus

Mystic River hands down.

Although I did like GBG a lot.

SexualPudding

I found Amy Ryan's character to be anything but likeable, but push come to shove, I would probably have to give Gone Baby Gone the nod over Mystic River as well.

Ronnie Dobbs

Ben Affleck pretty much stole everything from Clint Eastwood's directing of Mystic River including even using Eastwood staple Morgan Freeman. Gone Baby Gone was a good movie but Mystic River was just fucking brilliant. Tim Robbins character.

hardercore

Mystic River was an incredible film. Gone Baby Gone was incredibly average.

maxfisher

I haven't seen it since it was in theaters, but remember thinking parts of the script in Mystic River were laughable and I hated the ending. I did enjoy the acting, but not much else. I thought Gone Baby Gone was far superior.

Charlie Goose

I know Sean Penn is a critic's darling and he won an Oscar for MR, but I find him so hammy and over the top in his performance, that it distracts me from the rest of the movie. Still, it is better than GBG, which I also enjoyed.

JMcCraw

Gone Baby Gone. Mystic River was far too melodramatic.

slop101

GBG, by a fucking landslide for me.

I didn't really care for MR much - too bland, and the plot contrivances annoyed me.

Dan1boy

Matthew Ackerly

Mystic River all the way.

Brack

another "versus" thread. wooh!!

Nesbit

For those that have read both books who do you think was more miscast Tim Robins or Casey Affleck? Both actors did fine but I think that either film would have been a lot better with other actors in their roles.

I'd go with Gone Baby Gone for the original question but I haven't seen Mystic River since the theatre so it's not a fair comparison for me.

DeanoBKN

Mystic River by far. Something about Gone Baby Gone just rubbed me the wrong way.

PopcornTreeCt

That was the point of my post. That even the worst unlikeable characters in Gone Baby Gone were more engaging and charismatic than any character in Mystic River.

Mystic River just had a cold, mean presence throughout the film. Laura Linney's speech at the end totally comes out of left field. I like unhappy endings as much as the next guy but the film just left me cold. I haven't watched it since I saw it in the theatre. I just don't care for Eastwood's dramatic films. That and Million Dollar Baby were good dramas but nothing memorable.

mikelowry

Already watched Gone Baby Gone twice in a span of two months. Definitely way better than Mystic River.

Giggles

Gone Baby Gone.
Mystic River was also great, I liked it immensely, but still GBG managed to top it. MR is too right, too pop, too smooth.

FantasticVSDoom

I agree 100%... Have to go with GBG due strictly to this.