Mud

Ellis (Tye Sheridan) lives on a houseboat in Arkansas with his parents; Mary Lee (Sarah Paulson) and Senior (Ray McKinnon). Their marriage is falling apart as they scrounge for a living. He and his best friend Neckbone, who lives with his uncle Galen (Michael Shannon), find a boat high up in a tree on an island. They meet Mud (Matthew McConaughey).

This is a perfect little movie. This is probably the most complete and deepest character Matthew McConaughey has ever played. Yet it's the outstanding work of newcomer Tye Sheridan that holds the whole thing together. This is only his second movie after 'The Tree of Life' and he absolutely shines here. This movie has a great sense of place. The actors are all great. Importantly, the characters are all deep and complex. It is a truly intriguing little movie.

This is a movie that stays with you. It's a real movie about people, and a place--not car chases and explosions. I don't agree with the mixed reviews and complaints about the length of the movie. Matthew McConnahey is well-cast. All of the actors do a good work; Reese Witherspoon, Sam Sheppard. Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland do a great job playing the child characters. The Mississippi river is like a character in the movie, which evokes Huckleberry Finn, as others have noted. The settings are magnificent. In a sea of manufactured movies, it's nice to see something that was crafted by human beings. I would recommend this movie to those who are interested.

The audience in the theater I was in seemed absorbed.

An exquisite piece of filmmaking from writer-director Jeff Nichols, bolstered by powerful performances from Matthew McConaughey, Reece Witherspoon, Sam Shephard, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. 'Mud' is a beautifully shot film that blends crime, drama and romance into a heartfelt plot that follows two young boys who encounter a fugitive in need of their help. Set against some of the most unique and stunning locations ever used in a film, 'Mud' is reminiscent of flicks including 'Stand by Me' and 'Night of the Hunter'. Starting off relatively slow, the film steadily urges the viewer into a riveting tale of love, hate and redemption, with McConaughey giving one of his finest performances ever. A realistic and gripping coming-of-age tale that not only stands as being one of the best films of 2012, but one of the best dramas of the past decade.

Caught between childhood and teenage years, two best friends, Ellis and Neckbone, are having to navigate through the murky waters of life that has surprises at every bend. When they arrive their childhood play area - a boat that has gotten stuck in the trees during a storm - they discover an adult is now inhabiting it. Just at a time when they are beginning to recognize their own pre-adult urgings awakening inside them, they discover who is living in their tree house of sort and make friends with him. He becomes a mentor to them just when the murky waters have become too muddy to see clearly, and he tells them how his own life has been shipwrecked because of a love affair that began when he was about their age.

The man named Mud had fallen in love with a girl named Juniper when he was a kid and never recovered from the experience. Just as her name implies, she is a bittersweet, prickly creature whose fragrance has gotten into his nostrils and he thinks he can't live without her. On the other hand, she is fickle with love, not appreciating what he has to offer, and only accepting it when it's according to her whims. This mirrors the relationship that Ellis finds himself in with his "girlfriend," May Pearl.

Neckbone, on the other hand, has never had anyone love him except for an uncle whose relationships with women are on his terms and usually consist of one night, or to be more exact, one afternoon, stands. On the other hand, his uncle knows how to find the pearls others don't see, and he has found one in the boy he calls Neckbone.

Ellis can't help comparing his father's relationship with his mother to his new friend, who will do anything to defend the honor of this woman, even if it means going to jail for the rest of his life, and his father is falling short in his estimation. On one hand, his father is telling him how bad women can be and on the other hand, he has this friend telling him that they are worth everything. This conflicts Ellis, and he finds himself in his own set of conflicts as he defends the girl in his life.

Mud's stories are larger than life, and one wonders what is real and what is not. Juniper calls him a liar, but is he really? By the conclusion, one begins to see that Mud's actions are not as murky as they at first seem. In the end, will the river of life lead them to larger horizons where they can grow from their experiences?

Two curious young boys encounter a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey) named Mud where they live. They willingly do deeds for him, and try to reunite him with his love Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) The problem is, a bunch of bounty hunters are after Mud.

It's always nice to see such a tremendous film of this nature, after all the garbage Hollywood tends to churn out these days. Mud is a genuine piece of filmmaking, which is not only thoughtful, but engrossing until the very end. It's deliberate slow pace ends up serving this film well, giving us time to soak it all in. I also loved the southern setting in this film, which made it all the more genuine, and realistic. The cinematography is a sight to behold, with many beautiful sights that never failed to amaze me. Mud is a very likable fugitive, and quite sympathetic in my opinion, and I give all the credit to McConaughey for that. He still has that charismatic swagger he always does, but he delves a lot deeper for this role. His good looks, give way to a dirty, greasy fugitive, who will do anything to survive, but is not void of morality. He cares about the young boys, even if it is for his own reasons. McConaughey pulls it off with conviction, and I felt he was tremendous. The best performance might just be Tye Sherdian as Ellis. For an actor his age, he was absolutely incredible, displaying many ranges of emotion throughout the film. This kid is going special places in my opinion, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't. Jacob Lofland is great as Neckbone (Ellis's best friend) Reese Witherspoon doesn't have a ton of screen time as you may think, but her character Juniper plays a pivotal part. Reese nails the part, and is gorgeous to boot. Sam Shepard adds great support as a longtime friend to Mud, as the grumpy assassin.

Final Thoughts: Its films like this, that restore my faith in Hollywood. It's genuine, gritty, and downright absorbing. I loved this film, and I can't possibly see why anyone would dislike it. It's just a great film

9/10