Review of Mud (2013) by Zain H — 06 Feb 2014

I was so excited for "Mud" when I first heard of it. I loves Jeff Nichol's previous work "Take Shelter" starring Michael Shannon. It was so daring and different and it influenced me to check out more indie films. "Take Shelter" became one of my favorite films of all time and so I was anxious to see if I was gonna add another one to my list. But, NO, "Mud" didn't reach that bar for me. "Mud" is essentially a coming of age story based in the South about 2 kids named Ellis and Neckbone (what the hell?) that find a fugitive and decide to help him find his true love while trying to help him escape the police and fight off a gang that's trying to kill him. HERE'S ONE BIG PROBLEM RIGHT HERE. The film has so many characters and plot lines that it gets muddles up in everything. Not only does Ellis (Tye Sheridan) decides to help Mud (played by Matthew MccCougnahey) but he also has to face the problems of his parents dissolving relationship and trying to find true love himself in a true relationship. The film has too many things going on that it's pacing and structure is terrible. Plus the cheesy themes of true love kept smacking me right in the face in the most obvious manner.

Speaking of cheesy, alot of elements of the movie are very cheesy. From Mud's Forrest Gump like-innocent- yet-smart speeches to the name of the gang's leader which is King. KING IS HIS NAME. They could've come up with a little bit more original name right? RIGHT? The ending is predictable and the metaphors about birds and love were obvious and uninspiring. I didn't get a lot out of the film except for the relentless messages of lost love and family. The film drags on at points too. It gets very slow at points where it expected me to be invested in but the problem was I didn't care for most of the characters because I had already seen them before. There were cliche moments and cliche characters especially Mud.

Except for the script, everything else about "Mud" is top notch. From the eloquent direction to the beautiful cinematography, the film's execution was great. Nichol's kept the Southern atmosphere with a sweaty, icky, early summer morning mood along with perfect locations and set pieces. Not once did the film leave its Southern feel even during the intense action or love scenes. Tye Sheridan did some fantastic acting alongside Matthew McCoughnahey and Reese Witherspoon. This young up and coming actor completely tore every scene he was in and gave a demanding presence. His emotional broken physique was convincing and mesmerizing. This boy truly seemed lost and in need of guidance. MM pulled off his character perfectly but I guess I should have seen that coming. MM was made to play this character and his southern accent and skinny body completely made me forget it was once the faggot from "Surfer, Dude". Witherspoon was also perfectly cast because she was fantastic as this disgusting, care free beauty. I loved her scenes and her emotional presence was strong. Paul Sparks and Michael Shannon both from "Boardwalk Empire" were great to see also. Everyone in the movie was great as their characters, even if who they were playing weren't that interesting. The cinematography was the best part of the whole movie. All the landscape shots looked amazing and the dark color pallet was a feast for the eyes. I thought every angle and shade was perfect to create a dark yet enlightened mood.

Overall, "Mud" offers plenty of great acting moments and serene direction to keep the Southern charm enjoyable and haunting. But the script falls flat due to too much ideas and people trying to pushed into one cinematic experience.

Recommendation: Yes, this has enough acting ability and beautiful scenery to keep you invested, but don't expect a Southern drama that will sweep you off your feet.