Review of Mud

Whatever your movie-going habits are, you are unlikely to find a film released in 2013 as unique as director Jeff Nichols' Mud. It's a very affecting coming-of-age story blended with the unpredictable stylings of a slow-burn thriller. Some will be strongly reminded of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. Others will revel in the southern-gothic vibe that dominated one of actor Matthew McConaughey's previous standout movies, Killer Joe. Regardless of which portions of the film lodge in your mind after it's over, it's yet another example of how worthy drama and entertainment can be found long before the onslaught of Oscar Season. At 130 minutes, it's a little long for a movie with a somewhat limited scope, but it's consistently involving. It defies easy genre pidgeonholeing, and that's refreshing.

Mud opens in a backwater town in Arkansas with two 14-year-old boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan), and Neckbone (Jacob Loffland), who stumble upon quite a discovery: a boat (with cabin) lodged high in a tree on an island along the Mississippi River. They hope to claim it for themselves, but it is already occupied by Mud (McConaughey), a mysterious, disheveled man who is hiding out on the island waiting for his long lost love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), to meet him there. Mud is wanted for murder and on the run from authorities, and while he refuses to give up the rights to his boat, he offers Neckbone his pistol in exchange for the boys bringing him food and supplies. Neckbone jumps at the opportunity for material gain, but Ellis is motivated more by Mud's story of true love.

Ellis' character arc is captivating and rings true in every scene. He's an easy character to identify with, the idealistic youngster surrounded in every facet of his life by morally ambiguous individuals. I imagine most viewers of this film will have varying degrees of cynicism, yet one of Mud's many strengths is the fact it quickly puts us in the main character's corner. We want to believe in "pure" motives the way Ellis does, even though our better judgement suspects something isn't quite right. Ellis is also clearly maturing at a faster rate than his best friend, although he's forced to learn the hard way how little of a generous spirit others his age have. In one subplot, he stands up for a girl he has a crush on and believes he has found a girlfriend, but her feelings aren't quite reciprocated. The theme of idealism vs cynicism looms large, and it's a theme that Mud consistently and successfully emphasizes.

Additionally, by featuring a fugitive, lawmen, bounty hunters, and an ex-Marine (played at his curmudgeonly best by Sam Shepard), Mud also contains the rhythms of a thriller, albeit a slow-developing one. Aside from one token shootout, there's very little violence here. Without that familiar staple, the movie instead builds tension the old-fashioned way-- with dialogue (half-truths and outright lies abound) and plot developments. Is the title character trustworthy? How much of his story is true and how much is designed to play on the naivete of the two boys? McConaughey is unquestionably the biggest star in the cast, but there's no guarantee he'll be alive by the time the end credits roll. And Nichols makes the most out of the backwater, Deep South atmosphere to generate tension. One could legitimately claim that the locale, with its absence of cell phones and computers, is a character in its own right.

For the past decade, Matthew McConaughey has coasted on numerous romantic comedies where his easygoing charm and good looks have made him a favorite among countless female viewers. Fortunately, with last year's Magic Mike and the aforementioned Killer Joe, he has ascended his career to another level with much-talked-about performances. He is once again superb here; Mud is a well-developed character as written, but his multi-layered portrayal only adds to the character's ability to engage. Tye Sheridan, appearing in his second motion picture (the first was the 2011 Oscar-nominated The Tree of Life) is equally impressive and entirely natural. Jacob Loffland is credible as the adventure-loving, hormone-crazed Neckbone, and Reese Witherspoon turns in a very well-modulated, low-key performance. Like McConaughey, this is a case of a movie star acting as opposed to starring.

Mud arguably runs about 10 minutes too long; the scenes involving Neckbone's father (nonetheless well-played by Michael Shannon) and his clam-fishing outings could have been cut without damaging the flow. Also, while the movie elects to depict the friction between Ellis' parents (who are on the verge of a divorce) largely through his eyes, only his father is given three-dimensional treatment. The mother's side of this subplot remains only half-formed. But these are minor quibbles. Overall, on the strength of a multi-layered coming-of-age story, a surprisingly high amount of tension, and terrific acting all around, Mud is yet another 2013 limited-release motion picture I'll happily and strongly recommend to all audiences. It's one of those movies where you may have difficulty describing it to a friend, but you're unlikely to forget it so easily.

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****