Mini Review
Mud was one of those films that seems to come out of nowhere but generates a lot of buzz on it's arrival. It was the buzz, rather than the stars, that made me want to see it. That and the occasional comparison to one of my favourite coming of age movies, Stand By Me. Unfortunately, due to my recent disinterest in going to the cinema - following Iron Man 3 and Star Trek there just didn't seem to be anything good out - I missed Mud when it was showing at my local multiplex, but thankfully I managed to catch it at my local independent cinema before it finished.
In the film we follow two pre-teen boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) as they go looking for a boat that they believe has been abandoned on a deserted island. When they arrive on the island they find what they were looking for, along with something they never expected, a man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) living in the boat. Mud tells the boys that he's a wanted man who must take refuge on the island until the woman he loves comes for him. He makes a deal with the boys that if they help him fix the boat up and feed him, they can have his pistol in return. And so begins a journey for the boys which will teach them about love, hope, faith, and what it means to keep a promise.
When I went to see Mud I hadn't seen any trailers for it, and as such, I only had the handful of reviews I'd read, and a recommendation from a friend to go off. It was not what I was expecting at all, but it was so much better than I'd expected. The two boys, Tye Sheridan in particular, give such mesmerising performances. And while it's nice that Matthew McConaughey is doing some serious acting for once, it's certainly nothing more than we already know he's capable of from films such as A Time To Kill and his recent film The Paperboy. The boys are so good that McConaughey's performance barely registers. And he's good too. Damn good. But Sheridan and Lofland really are the ones to watch. It felt like Witherspoon was only there because they needed another name and because, like McConaughey, it was about time she did a serious film rather than another rom-com, as that's all she seems to have made in the last 10 years. Her performance was good but nothing to write home about.
The film is tense, it's gritty, it shows a side of American family life that most people who watch nothing but Hollywood blockbusters will have never seen before, it's well acted and most of all, it keeps you hooked until the credits are rolling. The cinematography is stunning and the story moves at an even pace throughout. If you can still catch it at a cinema near you then I highly recommend that you do, but if not, be sure to add it to your LoveFilm list. 9 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 1st June 2013
UK Release Date - 10th May 2013
Cast Overview:
Matthew McConaughey ~ Mud
Reese Witherspoon ~ Juniper
Tye Sheridan ~ Ellis
Jacob Lofland ~ Neckbone
Sarah Paulson ~ Mary Lee
Ray McKinnon ~ Senior
Sam Shepard ~ Tom Blankenship
Michael Shannon ~ Galen
Paul Sparks ~ Carver
Joe Don Baker ~ King
Bonnie Sturdivant ~ May Pearl
Director/Writer ~ Jeff Nichols
