The Mule

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 is a team from the insidious franchise so yous think horror but no not this time this black comedy is a very fun and worth your time film to see. Great ending to a really good story and based on actual events so even better!!

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.

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.

The title is a bit of a giveaway, but only so much. Because the movie might still be able to surprise you. I know it did surprise me a lot. To a certain point it was like "Alright, I know what comes next". But then you have a twist that is very nice. And even though a certain amount of knowledge comes with that and a familiarity that will have people in the know again, it is certainly entertaining. Considering that this really happened (similar to what we get treated to on screen), this is even more amazing.

The actors are having a lot of fun and everything is being laid there for everyone to see. Some material might feel a bit too much, but you can still feel that there is a logic behind it and even the most yucky scene is served for a purpose ... and for fun - and it works most of the time.