Review of Mud (2013) by Aaron K — 23 Jan 2015

With a poster that is misleading enough to paint Matthew McConaughey as a character that is about to pull a gun on an innocent someone whilst going off on a rant with a Southern drawl, Mud is an experience that is probably best delved into without knowing anything beyond the fact that McConaughey is in it; the experience was refreshing to say the least even without watching its trailers.

Mud is a coming of age tale that is unique enough to distinguish itself from other similar movies, with Jeff Nichols' display of versatile, nuanced writing allowing the expansion of his characters to 'come of age', as Mud is turned into a Stand By Me (1986) of sorts for a new generation of kids under the lens of Nichols' frequent collaborator and cinematographer, Adam Stone, as he attempts to capture the picturesque backwaters of Arkansas. Whilst its two young leads, Ellis and Neckbone, receive a chunk of the screen time, with the story primarily warping itself around Ellis' life, McConaughey's character, Mud, serves as the pivot for the expansion of the narrative as he directly and indirectly affects the lives of everyone that he comes across, particularly that of Ellis'.

As Ellis struggles to find a sense of identity and belonging as he steps out of adolescence and into young adulthood - whilst also attempting to make sense of the growing disconnect between his parents and his assumption on the construct of 'love' - the surrogate father image that he cultivates with the seemingly dangerous Mud cranks the boy's development at an exponential rate, while Neckbone is left scrambling after his best friend in terms of character development, as the duo seek to help Mud with getting off the tiny island he has holed himself on as unknown individuals attempt to track him down.

Another long-time collaborator of Nichols' - from Shotgun Stories (2007) and Take Shelter (2011) - Michael Shannon takes a backseat as a supporting character - Neckbone's uncle Galen - and leaves room for the magnetic performance by McConaughey as the hobo Mud, as he leaves a captivating performance as both a lovelorn criminal and a father figure for the kids. McConaughey's streak of chemistry with young actors are thrown on display yet again, as seen with Mud's interaction Ellis and Neckbone, with McConaughey's charisma easing the talents of Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland out, though Sheridan gains the most screen time as Ellis and naturally, development, in Nichols' modern take on the various works by Mark Twain.