This moving american film from director Clint Eastwood is truly one that needs to be viewed. I wathced this film years ago for the first time not knowing what it was about and i was hoping that it would be good. I watched the movie and had mediocre expectations and i regreted that about halfway into the movie because it was such a powerfull dramatic piece of work. I honestly think that this is one of Clint Eastwood's finest achievements as a director. The plot is very original and interesting when put together, Sean Penn plays Jimmy Markum who was a street crime boss who is now going straight. Kevin Bacon plays Sean Devine who is the police detective along with Laurence Fishburne who investigate the murder of Jimmy's dead daughter Katie. Once Katie, Jimmy's daughter is found murdered Jimmy stops going straight and returns to his crime boss ways and sends his men to find his daughters killer before the police do.As three friends playing on the street during childhood Dave Boyle played by Tim Robbins is abducted by two men who claim to be police officers and sexually abuse him( during childhood). The three friends grew apart since then and grew up to live different lives but this tradgedy will bring out who is the strongest, weakest, traitor or loyal in the Trio. I personally love Clint Eastwood's films and this movie is on the top ten best movies that he has directed in my book. I love this movie and would not hesitate to view it again because it was so gripping and it captured me by the drama and crime in the movie. My favorie scene in this movie is the scene in which Sean Penn's character Jimmy is running into a crime scene and held by at least twenty cops and Jimmy starts screaming asking if that's his daughter lying in the ditch. This scene was a very dramatic scene and it captured me in the moment when i first watched this film and it still does now. I personally reccomend this film to Eastwood fans out there who love dramas with some crime involved. This film was on the road to win an "Oscar" but Lord Of The Rings had not been acknowleged by the academy and it was at its third part so ity took the "Oscar" from beneath this film and walked off with ten more. I still think this film was "Oscar" material. This is a very good movie and i'm glad that Sean Penn won an award for Best Actor and Tim Robbins for Best Supporting Actor. I love this movie and would reccomend it to you drama and crime fans. Please view this powerfull drama/ crime movie from director Clint Eastwood.

GRADE- A