Two young boys meet a mysterious drifter and agree to help
him reconnect with his estranged girlfriend and escape the law. DRAMA
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Mud (2012)Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Sam Shepard, Paul Sparks, Joe Don Baker, Michael Shannon, Bonnie Sturdivant |
Mud is a fantastic character-driven film that stands on the strength of its performances. Matthew McConaughey excels in the role of Mud, a drifter with a dark past who wants to find the woman he loves and escape the law and vigilantes. It's like a fairy tale come to life in Arkansas. While McConaughey is great, the scene-stealer is a young Tye Sheridan, who knocks his performance out of the park and holds his own with Oscar winners like McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. The film shows that we all have the capacity for good and evil, and all of our souls point stronger one way.
Sheridan plays Ellis, who along with his friend Neckbone (Lofland) encounter Mud on a remote island. He says he's waiting for someone and if they give him some food, he'll help them out too. A friendship blossoms between Mud and the boys, and soon the boys find themselves involved in an ongoing tale of lost love, murder, and vigilante justice. All the while, Ellis is trying to be his own man while his parents get divorced and he falls in love with a girl who wants nothing to do with him. There's so many layers to the film, and all the subplots are relevant to the story. The ending feels earned. Also, it was great to see Joe Don Baker again, and Paul Sparks is quickly becoming one of my favorite character actors working today. He's everywhere! Mud is a poignant drama that is worth your time. The characters are three-dimensional and real, and the writing is brilliant. Telling this story from Ellis's perspective was definitely the right call, as he makes Mud seem like this guardian angel sent to show him the right way to live his life, until Ellis realizes even Mud is human after all. Regardless of how you look at it, the performances are fantastic, the story is engaging, and the cinematography is gorgeous. Definitely a win. |