Movie Reviews

MUD

Jeff Nichols may very well be the next Terrence Mallick; riveting Americana dramas set amongst a beautiful visual canvas. But where Mallick has a tendency to get lost in his own self-obsessed visual world and forgets to tell a story, Nichols picks it up and delivers in 'Mud'. 

'Mud' tells the story of two young teenage boys, Ellis and Neckbone, who spend their free time travelling along Arkansas' rivers. The two boys come from families who are dependent on the river's supplies and thus don't have much money. But what they may lack in cash, they make up for in good humor, ingenuity, and warmheartedness. 

One morning Neckbone takes Ellis to a somewhat remote island of the river to show him a boat that got stuck in a tree from a flood that happened months back. Their eyes glow in wonderment and excitement as they now have a large boat to call their own. However, they soon discover they aren't the only ones who know about this boat and there in fact seems to be someone living in it.

Here they meet Mud (played brilliantly by Matty Mac), a semi-homeless man, living by himself on the remote island. Just don't call him a fucking hobo. They soon learn that Mud is on the run for killing a man who abused a woman he loved and the two decide to ditch their boat dream and help Mud repair it so he can escape to safety.

The plot is reminiscent of other great coming of age tales such as Stand By Me, but I'm not really here to give you a play by play of the plot. Just know that you'll be pleased. 

Despite the great plot and superb acting, Mud's greatest strength lies in the parallels of men. Boys growing up and becoming men, what a man does for his family, what a man does for love, and what men do for each other.

 It's not exactly a Lena Dunham feminist exploitation, but it's not sexist either. The dialogue may not have the glamour that an Aaron Sorkin film might, but it's some of the most honest and realistic that's been on screen in a good while. 

The movie uses the always awesome Michael Shannon scarcely but effectively as Neckbone's hilarious and well meaning uncle, despite his failure to treat his women 'like ladies'. He also has a unique infatuation with the Beach Boys' song 'Help Me Rhonda', which is basically a song about a guy asking a girl named Rhonda to be his rebound after his girlfriend left him. Rebound....Rebound. Rebound. Rebound. Like Karl Fucking Malone, the theme of rebounding is also very prevalent in this movie both in life and love. Both Ellis and Mud learn this and find solace in doing so. 

Above all the movie has more heart and honesty then I've seen in a film a long time. Mud is a new classic and a staple for American storytelling and is good validation that Nichols is one of the new great American filmmakers. 

****/4