2013: The Year in Film: "Mud" Review

Let me start by saying that this movie completely flew under the radar. Despite the fact that there were rave reviews following it being screened at Cannes and Sundance, it got lost in the Iron Man 3/Star Trek 2 shuffle for me and I kind of completely forgot it existed. Sorry, Mud! A cursory glance at the movie listings revealed that it had a nearly unheard-of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, so I decided I should give Mud a whirl. A friend and I decided to check it out, and boy am I glad that I did. The follow-up to 2011's "Take Shelter", (which I've heard is good but have never seen!) also written and directed by Jeff Nichols, "Mud" is an indie coming of age story in the vein of "Stand By Me".

"Mud" features two 14 year old friends Ellis (Tye Sheridan - who I recognize from "Tree of Life") and Neckbone (newcomer Jacob Lofland) who live on a river in rural Arkansas. One day they come across a boat in a tree and mysterious, charming, charismatic drifter named simply "Mud". (Matthew McConaughey in his best-ever performance) Mud needs help and brings the boys into his orbit with fantastical tales of a lost love and sinister forces conspiring against him. As Mud's mysteries unfold and Ellis faces challenges at home the two grow closer and form a real friendship.

The film is shot in an almost cinema verite style, and the use of gritty, rural settings and hardscrabble depictions of river life really gives the film an authentic feel. If it wasn't for the presence of known actors, it would really feel like a naturalistic depiction of a way of life that's not likely to be long of this earth. It's a cousin of last year's "Beasts of the Southern Wild" in that way. The sleepy town, turns of phrase, chivalrous yet violent characters and romance of it all gives the happenings a southern gothic Faulkner-esque feel. This is a film that feels distinctly southern and very real and that seeming authenticity gives it a real charm.




The cast is stellar from top to bottom, highlighted by great performances by McConaughey (shoo-in for a Best Supporting nod, I'm calling it right now) and young kids Sheridan and Lofland, who give the sort of convincing, charming and deeply felt performances that make this film feel like more than a work of fiction. Reese Witherspoon is almost unrecognizable as Mud's long-lost love Juniper and Michael Shannon, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard and Joe Don Baker are all completely believable as inhabitants of this forgotten place.

Simply put, this flick is a gem. A pseudo modern American fairy tale that is inhabited throughout by charm, humor, mystery and above all the bonds that friendship and family can provide. Some convincing performances by two kids and masterful work by McConaughey propel it to greatness. See Mud, you won't regret it.

8.5/10.