Rating of
3.5/4
Review: Mud
MikePA - wrote on 07/26/13
Written and directed by the spectacularly talented Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories), Mud is an engrossing and effective coming-of-age story bolstered by amazing performances and fabulous directing. Unless the characters are in some sort of physical danger, you'll never take your eyes off of it. Like 2013's only slightly superior The Way, Way Back, it's so refreshing to see a coming-of-age story that feels so real and tackles its themes perfectly.
Mud follows two teenagers, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who both discover, on a separate island, this boat lodged up in this huge tree like a tree house. They climb the tree into the boat, and find that someone may be living there. That's the case, and that's where Mud (Matthew McConaughey) comes in. I won't say why Mud is on that island living in a boat in a tree, but I will say that the two boys (mostly Ellis) grow a nice relationship with Mud as they help him gather (and sometimes steal) supplies to get the boat working and escape the island with the woman he loves, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), before his is hunted down and killed by some very angry people.
Meanwhile at home, Ellis is dealing with the separation of his parents, his first girlfriend, and a tense situation with a bad fella who wants to kill Mud.
Mud succeeds on practically every obstacle it's looking to achieve. Dramatically and emotionally it completely wins us over. As an adventure story it's fun and engaging. It has a few laughs but the tone never exactly gets completely lighthearted. And above all, it's amazing how realistic it feels, which is saying something good about the writing, the setting, and the characters and the ways in which they interact with one another. I was so invested in these characters' lives and the situations they dealt with, and I never left their side until the end credits started rolling.
Another huge plus are the performances. The standout is obviously Matthew McConaughey, who in my opinion gives the performance of his career (well, so far - God knows what he'll cook up next) as the title character, Mud. The character is thoughtful, charming, and deeply flawed but extremely likable. Nichols crafts the character with intense precision and McConaughey knocks it out of the park. Another standout are the two boys played by Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. Jacob's very good - no doubt, but it's really Tye who earns full recognition. He nails his dramatic moments, especially. The way in which he bubbles up all of that emotion and releases it on full blast will surely result in goosebumps.
Mud is an amazing story with great characters and an engaging plot. It's so well made, beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, and ultimately justifies its 130-minute duration. Jeff Nichols, man. If he keeps making terrific movies like this and Take Shelter, he'll be the next big thing. I'm telling you.
3.5/4
