Mud Reviews
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There is a ton of sub-textual "stuff" going on here, dealing with boats as a metaphor for a man's self worth and multiple parallels concerning father and son relationships. And though sub-textual "stuff" is essentially what allows for the best films, due to Nichols' script, "Mud" comes off as more ambiguously underdeveloped than anything. And thus, its own emotional themes concerning coming of age and father and son relationships become muddled, getting lost in the lack of an intriguing story which becomes sadly less and less powerful as it progresses. And therein lies the problem with "Mud". Its foundation was constructed by a writer/director who has a nasty habit of being far too cryptic of a filmmaker for his own good.
That said, Nichols does display a slathering of beautifully constructed visuals and a few inspired lines of dialogue (mostly muttered by the profoundly underutilized Michael Shannon). And there are definitely bits and pieces of this movie, in conjunction with standout performances from both McConaughey and Tye Sheridan, who played the main child protagonist here (and reminded me of River Phoenix in "Stand by Me") that will have audiences sitting forward and taking notice.
Side Note: Reese Witherspoon is also in this movie, but doesn't really do much of anything. So, she's really not worth talking about.
Final Thought: If there is one positive thing I could say about Nichols as an up and coming writer/director, it would be that he does tend to bring out stellar performances from his stable of actors. And "Mud" is the type of film which moves forward on the backs of performances, not necessarily on plot. So, despite the predictable narrative, there is enough good here (especially in the final act) to slightly recommend this film. In fact, I think I would be hard pressed to find anybody who could outright hate "Mud". But I am still shocked at the hordes of critics who tout this as a "must see" or even award worthy.
Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus
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Nate's Grade: A-
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There was a time when the U.S led the world in narrative film-making. Whatever other faults you might have bestowed on them, American film-makers were traditionally cinema's greatest story-tellers. This tradition was partly killed off in the late sixties by the "movie brat" generation who saw conventional narrative film-making as old hat. By the 21st century the tradition was practically dead, with European and Asian writers leading the way as far as story structure went. The odd contemporary American movie with a well written and engaging story, such as 'The Shawshank Redemption' would come to be treated as manna from heaven but, pre-sixties, America produced these type of films on a weekly basis. Jeff Nichols' third feature, following the over-rated but promising 'Shotgun Stories' and 'Take Shelter', is a return to this tradition, a piece of old school American storytelling at its best.
When we think of American culture, we're more often than not thinking of the South. Most of the country's greatest writers, artists and musicians have come from below the Mason-Dixon line but the area hasn't fared so well on celluloid. The South usually falls victim to a cornball representation, with dodgy Northern actors attempting wildly over-the-top accents. Last year we had two of the worst representations of the South, one mocking ('Django Unchained'), one patronizing ('Beasts of the Southern Wild'). Nichols is a child of the South and the Arkansas we see in his films is not the one we know from the silver screen, rather the one seen by everyday folks from the back of a pick-up truck. He does for the South what David Lynch did for the Pacific NorthWest, representing its rugged beauty alongside its underlying darkness. Indeed, the theme of first love set against the dangers of the adult world explicitly recalls Lynch's 'Blue Velvet'. The film's villains, all skinny ties and slicked back hair, are straight out of Lynchland, that enticing world where America seems stuck in the fifties.
If you had told me the best movie of 2013 would star McConaughey and Witherspoon I would have feared for the state of cinema. A whole generation has grown up without the knowledge that, back in the nineties, the pair were considered two of the brightest lights of American independent cinema. A decade-plus of dreadful (un)romantic-comedies has since soured our perception of them. Here they get the chance to remind us of their potential with career best performances from both. Speaking of potential, young Sheridan shows us that his impressive turn in 'The Tree of Life' wasn't just a once off. Himself and Lofland are fantastic together, a double act way beyond their years but still convincing as naive teens.
'Mud' is easily the best movie about childhood since 'Stand By Me', a stunning portrayal of the confusion of entering manhood in a post-masculine world. There's no sagely, wise-beyond-his-years, advice from Nichols' protagonist Ellis. He sees the errors adults are making but, already at his young age, he is making the same mistakes himself and his youthful ideals are crushed by three different failing relationships throughout the film. There's no annoying voice-over telling us the lessons Ellis is learning, indeed the film's climax suggests no matter how many times he feels love's hoof in his belly, he'll keep climbing back on the horse. Like 'To the Wonder', Nichols' film tells us love, or at least its unattainable ideal, is worth fighting for, even if we're never really sure why.
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In this PG-13-rated drama, two teenage boys (Sheriden, Jacob Lofland) encounter a fugitive (McConaughey) and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love (Reese Witherspoon). Sam Shepard and Michael Shannon also star.
After his head-turning film festival debut Take Shelter, Jeff Nichols gives filmgoers a Hard Knocks coming-of-age tale that boasts a tellingly harsh dose of reality. He definitely chose the right leading man in McConaughey, whose recent turns in The Lincoln Lawyer and Magic Mike amounted to way more than popcorn fluff. At times simple and at times complex, his superstitious tale-spinning title character holds the audience and child protagonists in the palm of his hands. This goes double for Nichols, who frames the ripples of nature as fascinatingly as he does the ripples of a human emotion. The indulgent ending will divide audiences, but it's the film's ability to chart the rough waters of entering adulthood - as choppy as the Mississippi River itself - that truly rewards.
Bottom line: A Time to Thrill.
Super Reviewer
Mud is a movie about a love story that isn't really a love story. The relationship between Ellis and Mud overshadows the relationship of Mud and June, played by Reese Witherspoon. She easily acclimates to the role of distressed southern belle. Sam Shepard is the aloof neighbor on the river who pops his head in at the right times while Michael Shannon gets the briefest of roles as the Uncle to Nick. The kid playing him, Jacob Lofland, and Shannon offer up the comedy in this movie, and it's at the right times.
I thought the pacing was good, the acting was great, the story was solid, but for some reason I couldn't get over the teeth McConaughey wore! They were just a bit out of place for me on him. The symbolism was well done and common threads are easy to pick out as the film moves a long. If you're a fan of McConaughey, go see this...but don't be surprised that he won't be the only good actor you'll see.
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Mud is seen through the eyes of two young teens, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland). The pair is young and precocious, and already has a knack for self-reliance. Their curiosity is piqued when they travel the rivers of the Mississippi delta to find a boat rumored to be stuck in the trees. They find the boat, but more surprisingly they discover someone's living in it. That someone is Mud (Matthew McConaughey), a man of mystery and charm, someone the boys (especially Ellis) are drawn to almost immediately.
Spouting tall tales and extolling advice he believes is sage, Mud befriends the boys, initially so they can find him food, but eventually to help him bring the boat back to life so he can reunite with his first and only true love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). It's a foolhardy task as the boys learn that Mud is wanted by both the police and some unsavory characters, many of which are more despicable than Mud.
Nichols' film sears emotion and taps into the male psyche, much like he did in Take Shelter. Michael Shannon played the lead in that feature (and is a welcome sight here, too), and he hands the reigns over to McConaughey, who is more than capable here. To date this may be the veteran actor's most accomplished role, and McConaughey may see some hardware come awards season.
Mud is very much a coming-age-film but it also deals with accepting unwanted change. This is evident in Mud's persistence in reuniting with the beautiful but troubled Juniper and in Ellis' reluctance to move away from the river into town due to his parents' pending separation. Because of Ellis' home troubles, his need for acceptance and guidance is sought out in Mud, a man who in many ways reflects the young teen.
It should be mentioned that young Tye Sheridan is excellent as Ellis. He displays a natural acting ability that was captured well here and previously in Tree of Life. The film's success hinges on Ellis and thanks to Sheridan he's able to evoke an impressive stability not seen in a young actor since possibly Stand By Me.
Women play a big part of the film's story arc but all the female actors largely go unused (a promising role for Witherspoon sadly doesn't go very deep). Nichols uses the film's patriarchal figures (Sam Shepard and Ray McKinnon) to warn Mud and Ellis about women - how they operate and how they should be avoided. This is very much an Old Testament reference complete with snakes, a creature prevalent throughout.
Overall, Mud is an excellent thriller full of layered human themes. If there is any flaw it could be in the conclusion since the violence there doesn't seem to fit with its preceding setup. Although all signs point to what eventually happened, it would've been nice to not see a typical Hollywood ending.
Better still, Mud is an accomplished feature and is arguably the best film so far in 2013. Direction, writing and acting are all strong, and it contains some impressive cinematography complemented by an outstanding score. JV
