The Mule - Nur die inneren Werte zählen

Tony Mahony and star Angus Sampson tag team this oddball crime-drama that is sure to show audiences an intelligent plot, well acted characters, and no shortage of humor. The characters are all lovable in their own unique ways due to the performances from...well everyone, really. The characters, plot, and cinematography show a healthy mix of influence from the Coen Brothers ("Fargo," "Raising Arizona"), Wes Anderson ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"), and even AMC's "Breaking Bad."

Reading a quick synopsis or plot summary of this film will reflect poorly on the actual depth and cleverness of it all. Despite the seemingly simple and goofy (maybe even downright stupid) story of a man trying not to crap his pants for seven days because he swallowed drugs, "The Mule" is sure to impress audiences with its suspense and unfolding plot. Watching this movie is like being in a room with a time bomb; you don't know when it's going to blow, you can't escape it, and the bomb just happens to be a man doing his very best to not defecate himself.

Angus Sampson, an actor who usually prefers to stay out of the spotlight, shines in his role as Ray Jenkins, a quiet, introverted, momma's boy, soccer player who finds himself making the wrong decisions for the right reasons. John Noble plays as this Australian town's cut- throat kingpin. Hugo Weaving and Ewen Leslie are the typical "bad cop - good cop" detective duo that keep us guessing as to whether they want to help Ray through this or (quite literally) beat the **** out of him.

While I'm sure this movie will receive low scores because of how "drawn out" it may seem or because of...well..."shock factor"... I urge fans of crime-dramas and thrillers to see this film. You will be pleased with its twists and turns right up until the happy ending.

When people form opinions about Australian Cinema, they generally base that opinion on previous Australian films with successful backgrounds, i.e.; Animal Kingdom, Chopper etc. What Angus Sampson has created here is a fantastic, moody, brooding black comedy/drama that surpasses most of the tripe that comes out of the US and Australia, but also that stands alone as a film that really works on all levels. Ignore Sampson's past achievements in the form of 100 Bloody Acres and the Insidious franchise etc. This film is a winner, and it's completely different. It is a stand alone film that pulls all the right triggers at all the right times. Sampson, having written, produced, starred and co-directed shines here as a shy and humble first time drug mule. His reluctance to be a participant in the smuggling leads to his fumbling through airport gates leading him to a minor cavity search that lands him locked up in a hotel for 7 days, guarded by Federal Police, waiting for the contents to pass through. The premise has been done before, however Angus Sampson brings the character to life and watching him hold on to number 2's for days is both uncomfortable and hilarious. This film is by no means a comedy. But throughout the film, the banality of simple Australians can't be helped but laughed at as they stumble through the complications of their lives. This film is a great Aussie crime drama that will stand up to the test of time like Animal Kingdom and Two Hands.

Definitely worth the watch and Angus Sampson is also one to watch in the future.

The Australian film The Mule was well-received in its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. It is an entertaining, if not terribly memorable film, based on some version of supposedly true events from the 1980s. The kernel of truth appears to have been the case of a man arrested as a drug mule and retained in custody for an extended period of time during which he refused to defecate and thus expel the packets of heroin from inside his body. The comedic story that the writers concocted around these true events appears to be mostly fictional. The story moves along nicely and is told in an entertaining manner with a heavy dose of Aussie accents. The acting is reasonable with an expected level of grossness that this particular subject matter demands. The best part of the night, however, was when the writer and director appeared on stage after the film completely drunk and went off on ridiculous rants that ended with one-handed push-ups. Since they're Australians, I'm not sure that anyone was all that surprised.

This was a really great movie - a unique story told mostly in the bed of a hotel room . There is no sex but some violence. Our mule does not speak much but that the point. Mules are not very smart -they are good and carrying though. The cops are cast well and the Australian production is very enjoyable. I would caution anyone watching this film to not eat any food during the film. The mule's mum and dad play there parts so well and the mob boss who is wound up with aggression -its just a matter of time before someone gets waked. I think the Mule's boss is badly stereotyped as the Jewish TV repair owner,but he is so funny and callous when he wont allow the Mule to take his 30 minute lunch - The Mule quits and owner says Come back - take 35 minutes for lunch. This movie is full of wit and humor while it deals with a very deadly subject.

This is one of those rarely seen movies that just leaves and indelible image in your mind! There are some horrific scenes that are totally unexpected.

The story is a little slow to start but once the hotel part starts you will be stuck to the screen. There are some truly despicable characters to deal with and you will wonder how this will finish.

The dialog and writing becomes more wonderful as the story progresses. I do not want to insert a spoiler because this movie was totally unknown to me and I wasn't expecting much. It delivered more than I ever expected and it's a crime/action surprise.