Year: 2012 (U.K Release Date 2013)
Director: Jeff
Nichols
Screenplay: Jeff
Nichols
Starring: Matthew
McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Sam Shepard, Reese Witherspoon.
Synopsis is here:
The man whose been known for learning on cheesy film posters
continues his reinvention with yet another sun-kissed, deep fired southern performance.
Matthew McConaughey used to be a named that would strike certain film fans with
fear. Whether McConaughey sacked his
agent or just started rejecting the easier script, now, we have a leading man
who isn’t afraid to take risks and skew with that honey smooth charm that he is
known for.
McConaughey plays Mud; a mysterious drifter who befriends
two young boys and drags them into the fractured world of adult relationships.
Ellis (A sweet yet commanding display by Sheridan); the more dominant of the
two boys, has had his life flitter around such troubled matters through his
parents, but his wish to help the enigmatic Mud hurtles his transition to
adulthood into overdrive.
Much like A Room for Romeo Brass (1999), we have two boys who
encounter a man who appears to be locked in arrested development. As Mud
resists confronting himself and his past which has finally caught up with him,
the boys have their own ideals challenged because of it. Like Romeo Brass what
makes the dynamic so engaging is how Nichols, like Meadows, develops this story
and characters such a rich atmosphere. The cold overcast hues of Nichols’ Take Shelter
have been replaced by golden hues. Mud’s tanned skin seems to match the background,
becoming part of the backwater Arkansas’ setting. When Mud first appears, it’s
if by magic, suddenly drifting into view, as if he’s always been there as part
of the thrown out furniture. The more the boys learn, the more that Mud becomes
a cautionary tale. Such broken hearted stories feel part and parcel of people’s
lives in these parts.
Both Ellis and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) are industrious and
pure of heart protagonists who, like Moonrise Kingdom, are thrown into the messy
and childish lives of adults. Mud shows them a well worn path and the two’s
reactions against the tide are what makes the film worthwhile. The plot is not as balanced as Take Shelter,
and the sub-plots are a little undercooked. But Nichols draws wonderfully
natural performances from his cast and enriches the drama with gorgeous
cinematography to create a sensitive and good natured piece of American cinema
that people still honestly believe doesn’t exist. More fool them.
