Rating of
3.5/4
Mud review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/03/13
"This river brings a lot of trash down...you gotta know what’s worth keeping and what’s worth letting go." Definitely one of the best quality films of the year for its genre. It starts with two friends, Ellis and Neckbone, roaming around an island and meets a fugitive named Mud. Mud tells Ellis about Juniper and how he would do anything for her. The father who lost a child to Mud tries to avenge his death by sending bounty hunters and his other son. Basically, the picture focuses on the father’s actions of their detractors or their sons coupled with the trivialities of love and maturation as a kid.
Direction and cinematography were spotless. Screenplay as always provocative with lines: “"I don't traffic in the truth too often, but I did love her," “"If you're not careful it'll up and run out on you," and "We knew to be afraid of snakes long before we ever got into this world." Highlights were the earnest acting of Matthew McConaughey and the youthful exuberance of Tye Sheridan. Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon and Reese Witherspoon provide solid believable performances. A director’s favorite Michael Shannon plays a cool role in here. He had short scenes but still worth viewing because of his presence. Soundtrack fits the atmosphere and settings. Some minor hindsight’s would be some lack of background on the characters such as Mud (how the hell did he get his name, unless this reviewer missed something), sense of reality (how can Mud survive for so long), and the pacing of certain scenes from the subplots.
It’s a well-written tale of friendships, childhood crushes, morals, revenge, heart break, faltering marriage, growing-up to discover about the complexities of love and fatherhood. This critic won’t be surprised if these get accolades from the Academy Awards. Mud maybe a slow burner but the overall production, acting, story and lessons are worth viewing.
