One of American cinema's elder statesmen helped open the 41st New York Film Festival on Thursday, when Clint Eastwood turned out to present his latest flick Mystic River.
The 73-year-old was joined by the film's stars, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon, as he answered journalists' questions about the psychological thriller.
Mystic River, which is already winning the plaudits of critics, tells the story of three men whose lives are marked by the childhood abduction of one of their friends. Clint said he was moved to take on the project by his anger over violence against children. "I was fascinated by the stealing of innocence," he said. "The moment I read it, I felt, 'I've got to do it'."
Asked about the contrast between the film and his early Dirty Harry productions, the veteran actor was characteristically matter-of-fact. "Then was then and now is now," he said. "I'm not apologizing for any movie. Times change, people change."
The NY Film Festival will feature 24 movies over the next two weeks. It draws to a close on October 19 with 21 Grams, a searching drama which also features Sean Penn in the lead role.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
