Mud (2012)

It isn't fair compare this title directly to other films, but I will anyway. So here goes: Huck Finn with a dash of Deliverance, Winters Bone, and Tree of Life. By the way, I hated Tree of Life, which WAS beautiful but entirely too experimental for my liking (I would have been fine with it as an exhibit at a modern art museum). But Mud is a film that is a pleasure to look at, and also has a fantastic story that weaves in poverty, youth, the loss of innocence, love, and violence.

The life in a small town depiction is completely spot on. I am from a small town (West, Texas, which recently experienced the tragic explosion), and the people, locations, and attitudes are completely believable. Anyone who was a boy in a rural area will really connect with the story.

The writing and directing is brilliant. It is the perfect blend of pacing, dialog, and action. The acting all around is top notch. Matthew McConaughey delivers an Oscar caliber performance; I liked this even more than his role in Frailty (which if you are looking for a great suspense / thriller, that is a must-watch). Supporting characters are completely effective and convincing. The actors playing the two boys deliver amazing performances; I suspect we will be seeing this young men for decades to come.

I am hoping that this movie gets recognized as the outstanding piece of film that it is. It is gorgeous to watch, and the locations feel far, far away from a Hollywood studio. But this is not just a pretty "art" film; it has an outstanding story that will grip you from start to finish.

In summary, I kinda liked it ... A+, a rare and solid 10!

Fmovies: I saw it in Cannes a few days ago, and what a beautiful and strong movie!

And what a shame this movie didn't get the Golden Palm!!!

I don't want to spoil this movie, but I can just say it's a rare and beautiful movie about love, friendship, nature and wildness. Very sensitive, touching.

The cast is great, Reese Whiterspoon, Matthew McConaughey, and the two children.

Great photography too, with great shots of the Mississippi (among others).

I'm looking forward to see Jeff Nichols' next project!

Jeff Nichols' new film "Mud" is essentially a coming-of-age tale, but it borrows liberally elements of neo-noir, Southern Gothic and melodrama while being filmed as if it was based on some great novel that was never written. It makes for a ripping good yarn that should please a wide audience thirsty for drama with a bit of heart and some sentimentality (without ever being sappy).

The cast works extremely well together under Nichols' direction with McConaughey delivering an Oscar worthy performance as a troubled man hiding out on an island in the Mississippi River who is discovered by two young teenage boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland in two winning performances).

You won't want much more spoiled before seeing it. Highly recommended.

Check out full reviews at theschleicherspin.com

Mud fmovies. Engaging an audience in a truly captivating sense of wonder is a lost art form in the realm of cinema, or at least it has become so rare that we begin to forget how magical the silver screen experience can be. One of those rare filmmakers is writer and director Jeff Nichols who made great strides in inventive filmmaking with his second feature Take Shelter, a deeply unsettling and atmospheric thriller that reminded us that the potential for original storytelling can have equally creative follow through. Writer/director Jeff Nichols' latest atmospheric drama Mud continues his notable prestige for dramatic filmmaking by creating a pure slice of Americana; an evocative and poignant coming of age tale that borrows the lyricism of Tennessee Williams works and mixes them with the harmonious sensitivity of a Sam Shepard play, who is ironically enough in a supporting role in the film, creating a witty and insightful modern day Mark Twain influenced adventure. Keeping his respectful gaze on rural America, Nichols creates an intimate reflection on friendship, unrequited love, and youthful discovery with a rhythmic, sensitive approach towards life's realizations during childhood. Mud is one of those films where all of the creative outlets from the ethereal cinematography to the haunting cinematic score come together in perfect unison to highlight the depth within the story being told. The film unveils its inner soul with a purposefully meditative pace that might deter some from experiencing a thoughtful approach but that would be a drastic mistake because it's one of the more authentically creative and emotionally opulent movies to grace the theaters in a long while. In Mud we're not only witnessing the artistic stamp of a director who has found his distinct voice but also the final stages of resurrection in the acting career of Matthew McConaughey who has never been more focused or impassioned on the screen. While Mud might not be as finely woven as his sophomore effort Take Shelter there is no denying his latest drama's penchant for compelling drama enhanced by the heartfelt nature of the writing, the clarity in the visuals, and the honesty in all of the acting performances.

Read more: http://wp.me/py8op-xV; More reviews: Generationfilm.net

Two boys make their way along the Mississippi River to an island where they find a boat up a tree, however they quickly discover that they are not alone. A mysterious man is living on the island and when they encounter him, their adventure gets a lot more serious.

The setting for this film is the Mississippi River. It dominates this film as it dominates the lives of the main characters in this film. This is not a film about small-town America. There is a small town, in which everyone knows everyone, but most of the action takes place out of town, out on the river, and out in the uninhabited areas of the river's ecosystem. The two fourteen year old boys and their families, are river people, making a precarious living from the river. Life is hard but the people are hard-working, honest and resourceful. If Mark Twain was writing now, and had not been seduced into doing graphic novels, these are the people he would be writing about. In fact, this film does homage to Mark Twain; Huckleberry Finn was based on a childhood friend of Mark Twain's called Tom Blankenship, the name of a character in this film. This film then, essentially, is a modern up-date of that genre.

The two boys are played superbly by Ty Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. Their characters are fourteen-years old, hardened and matured by their environment. The two actors seem believable and natural in their roles. Chris Pine was originally considered for the role of the mysterious stranger, and with his blue eyes and young looks, he would have looked attractive and charismatic as he encountered the boys. I bet he wishes he had been in this well-scripted film. However Pine's loss is Matthew McConaughey's gain. Robinson Crusoe was never like this. I doubt if Pine could play this as well as McConaughey, who lives this role. Actor? This guy looks like he has done nothing, but, live on the river, all his life. You totally believe he is living on this island. If there was a Best Eating Baked Beans Oscar, he would get it! A totally convincing performance! All performances were great. Not just of McConaughey and the two boys, but of all the supporting actors too. At first you are unsure who is who in the families. They seem a little cold but as the film progresses the characters develop. All are believable. The female roles, there are three, are all strong and well developed. The lovely Reese Witherspoon, star of 'Legally Blonde', like Sharon Stone in 'Casino', shows here that she can play a gritty role. Youngest actress, Bonnie Sturdivant, like the boys, got it just right. Older actors too were great; Sam Shepard, who played his role with some depth, and it was good to see Joe Don Baker in a small role.

All actors played their roles convincingly. As said, their lives are hard; they are plain-speaking people, however the occasional bit of laconic home-spun philosophy, will also be said.

This movie is beautifully filmed, lovely rich colours. The river is filmed lovingly, so too the way of life. The film is a homage to the life and the river. However while we see beautiful scenes of the river, we see too the grittier scenes of urban decay and dereliction and waste. All filmed well.

The UK rating of this film is 12A, though this reviewer thinks it unsuitable for anyone under 14 years of age. There are many different threads and themes to this film and it is unclear what will be resolved. Friendship, family, life and death, love and violence are all explored. The adult themes are not hidden. The boys have to try figur

14 year old Ellis (Tye Sheridan) lives with his mum Mary Lee (Sarah Paulsen) and father "Senior" (Ray Mckinnon) by the River in Arkansas. Their ramshackle boat house providing easy access to scratch a living selling fish from the mighty Mississippi.

Ellis is free to roam the bye waters in his boat with his friend "Neckbone" (Jacob Lofland) who lives with his uncle Galen (Michael Shannon). Galen keeps himself in beer by diving for oysters in the murky depths, when not loving the ladies to his favourite tunes or playing the guitar.

This is a tough, real life day to day type of existence, well away from the American lives you normally see on the big screen. It is a change to see people that are struggling, yet largely content and portrayed as loving their kids, caring about them as best they can and not turning to violence at a moments notice.

Stumbling across a boat stuck high up in the trees on a deserted island, the boys believe they have found their perfect hideout. After a while they realise they are not the first to find the boat. Notwithstanding all the possible avenues the story could take, horror or something sinister with the older man interacting with younger boys, the story takes none of the conventional routes.

Meeting "Mud" (McConaughey) we meet a perfectly formed complex character, conversing in the usual but even more pronounced southern drawl. Armed with a pistol and a strong independent survival instinct, he starts to rely or manipulate, dependant on your viewpoint, the boys to his main aim. Retaining or retrieving the love of his life "Juniper" (Reece Witherspoon), his sole reason for being is to ensure her safety away from the forces of evil, that he perceives continue to follow her.

To give too much away would spoil the film but fair to say, the story meanders and forks in the same way the Mississippi, ever present in the background, continues to do. The delicate friendships and loyalties that are built and called into question, are all beautifully and believably portrayed.

Tye Sheridan is strong yet vulnerable, experiencing the pitfalls of young love and the upheavals of his home-life require him to trust someone, whether he makes the right choices remain to be seen. McConaughey is well cast and acquits himself well, with a thoughtful layered performance that goes well beyond the stereotypes you might expect. There is a sense of loss through the movie but it is never clear what has been left behind, the ending in particular is sensitively handled. Witherspoon does not get much screen-time but makes the most of the scenes she has, portraying a character one step up from trailer trash. However she remains a constant contradiction of smarts and foolishness wrapped within a superficially simple yet complicated persona.

Matthew McConaughey has recently rescued himself from recent Rom Com hell with a string of good performances in films that actually matter, his recent collaboration with Scorsese in "Wolf of Wall Street" is a good example. It is good to see his career resurrection and start to get noticed again for his obvious acting ability. Director and writer Jeff Nichol has coaxed excellent performances especially from his young cast, whilst placing them in a believable world of which most audiences have no previous experience Complaints, the character played by Sam Shephard feels more like a plot convenience than reality and arguably Sheridan makes it hard for his co-star to shine when his performance is s