Mud: Review

Mud is deserving of all kinds of praises and Matthew McConaughey hardly had to take off his shirt for it

TL;DR

Matthew McConaughey does what he does best, plays a southern dude with a edge while Tye Sheridan is great as the kid who is willing to take a chance and doesn’t give a shit.

Synopsis

Mud is the story of two teenage boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who discover a mysterious man (Mud, Matthew McConaughey) on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River while looking for an abandoned boat suspended in the trees.  Mud is dirty, weird yet very approachable.  The boys agree to help the stranger in need in exchange for the boat he has been living in.  They return to the island again and again to drop off supplies and learn more about Mud’s intentions and his past.

He is waiting for the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), but he is wanted by authorities for killing a man. The boys relay messages to Juniper who is staying in town at a shady motel under the watchful eye of a group of bounty hunters looking for Mud as well.  Ellis and Neckbone risk their lives to reunite what they believe to be true love.

Review

Mud is one of those movies you go into with no expectations and leave happy you are one of the few that saw it.  Matthew McConaughey once again plays a southern guy who seems cool, calm and collective.  Wise beyond his years, Mud carries himself with a certain degree of swagger, even though he isn’t in any position to feel that way.

I’m always surprised when a kid can act at that same level. Tye Sheridan has the confidence of someone much older as well even though he has so much to learn.  He learns how to love, trust and deal with adversity.  And Jacob Lofland is the perfect compliment.  He may not be as smart, but his loyalty runs deep.

Writer and director, Jeff Nichols, delivers an awesome story about life that everyone can relate to and a terrific follow up to Take Shelter.  I’ve seen Mud compared to Huckleberry Finn and Stand by Me, which I can agree with to a point, but I prefer Mud over Jonathon Taylor Thomas or a fat Jerry O’Connell.