‘Mystic River’ haunts

“Mystic River”

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In Clint Eastwood’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s Boston-based mystery novel, Jimmy (Sean Penn) is an ex-con running a grocery store, Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a homicide detective and Dave (Tim Robbins) is a walking mope. The three childhood friends reconnect when Jimmy’s daughter is found murdered. Jimmy (Penn won an Oscar for his performance) is a storm waiting to break. Sean tries to fix things, but he doesn’t know what to make of Dave, who showed up at home the night of the murder covered in blood. Eastwood’s talent is to let the story flow naturally to its profoundly sad end. (DVD, VHS; 2:17) Rated R (language, violence).

“City of God”

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City of God is the name of a section of Rio de Janeiro known for its violent street gangs. Barely more than children, the gun-toting gangsters fight over drugs, turf and women but mostly power amid crushing poverty. Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) turns from crime and picks up a camera, which gives him a chance to document the life lived by the friends he has left behind. Oscar-winning director Fernando Meirelles (and co-director Katia Lund) follow a plot loosely knit from stories that Rocket tells us, and the story meanders a bit. But there’s no denying the power of what he captures on screen. (DVD, VHS; 2:10) Rated R (strong violence, sexuality, drug content, language).

“Along Came Polly”

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Ben Stiller plays Reuben Feffer, an obsessively controlling insurance profiler. When his wife (Debra Messing) ruins their honeymoon by taking up with a French scuba instructor (Hank Azaria), Reuben goes against his nature and asks out his one-time schoolmate, Polly Prince (Jennifer Aniston). She, of course, is his polar opposite. And so the whole lame concept here is a question: Can Reuben and Polly change enough to be together? What do you think? Huh? (DVD, VHS; 1:30) Rated PG-13 (sexual content, language, crude humor, drug references).

“Quantum Leap: The Complete First Season”

The two-hour pilot and all eight episodes of the NBC series in which a scientist (Scott Bakula) leaps from time to time, life to life, righting wrongs with the help of his hologram friend Al (Dean Stockwell). (DVD) Not rated.

“Playmakers: The Complete Series”

ESPN’s miniseries about a football and its players’ struggles with drugs, women, marriage and the ever-present need to win. (DVD; 4:06) Not rated (drug use, sexual situations, language).