La Mule

When you've got the goods, you've got the goods. Clint Eastwood has the goods in terms of creating, consistently, very good movies. Movies that move you, make you think - and most of all - enjoy a coupe hours of your life.

He's the got the Midas Touch. I don't think I've ever watched a Clint Eastwood movie I disliked, and I'm picky.

This movie revolves around a topic so near and dear to all of us: family. It highlights that none of us are perfect, some more than others, but in the end - redemption and forgiveness are there for even the worst of us.

He elegantly, again, makes a movie for an older actor that works, and works really well.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, you won't be sorry. Clint Eastwood is a master of his trade, and this movie - like so many of his before - clearly shows that.

This film was perfectly paced to tell the short but true story of an 80 year old WWII veteran and horticulturist's time as a drug mule for the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel. In reality Leo Sharp smuggled more than a ton of Cocaine into Michigan for $1.25 million and was sentenced to three years in prison, after being caught by the DEA, of which he served one year.

In the film, the real Leo Sharp is named Earl Stone and is portrayed by Clint Eastwood himself, who additionally both directed and produced this project. (Also, One of Eastwood's real life daughters starred as his daughter in the film.). Earl is a day lily horticulturist whose business suffers to the point where his home and farm are being foreclosed on, due to his unwillingness to keep up with the times by way of the internet. By chance he meets a young man who offers him a job delivering a package across state lines at his granddaughter's engagement party, which he jumps at in order to make money to help pay for her wedding and save face with his estranged family.

The film really makes a compelling argument for how he gets started in the business and an even more compelling argument for how he got away with it. As an older gentleman people would never guess that he would be involved and in fact even though the DEA gets pointed right to him and the motel he is staying at...they completely overlook this elderly war veteran.

This was slow paced, but heartfelt and emotional. I think fans of good cinematography will enjoy it, fans of Clint Eastwood will love it and fans of good story telling should watch it. It was nice to see Clint Eastwood starring in this film and playing a character of a similar age.

The 88 year old Clint Eastwood who apparently has enough wits about him to keep a driver's license decides at the suggestion of a guest at his daughter's wedding to do some driving for friends who will pay him well, very well. It's only after a few trips that retired horticulturalist Eastwood realizes its drugs he's hauling and he's making too much money now to quit. In fact he's pulled himself out of some serious debt and bequeathing gifts all around.

Being the devil's advocate you got to say that drug dealers are ingenious in terms of finding new methods of smuggling. Who would expect a super senior citizen who is a few years would probably have his license lifted to be a drug mule. I say that because two of my uncles at Eastwood's age had their driver's licenses lifted by the State of New York. But while they were still driving no drug cop or any other kind would have given him a second look.

Which what happens to DEA agent Bradley Cooper and other law enforcement when they come across Eastwood. But the wiretaps that the DEA has gives them chatter about someone who is becoming legendary for the weight he is delivering.

The Mule is a bittersweet picture about old age and Clint Eastwood drew a lot from his own life and others to give us this portrayal. I should also single out Dianne Wiest who plays his estranged ex-wife and mother of his daughter who loves him, but can't stand his irresponsible ways.

What I love about this film is that we leave Eastwood doing exactly what he was doing as the film opened only in a different location. And he has a degree of security he never had before.

Watch the film to see what I'm talking about. God willing Clint may be acting and directing himself in his 90s.

I'll keep it short. Not a bad movie, a little slow but just enough to keep you interested. Good acting, funny wise cracks, ending kind of a let down. Still better than 90% of the movie out there. 7/10

I had never heard of Leo Sharp before watching "The Mule". What a story. Clint Eastwood (who also directed) plays a fictionalized version of Sharp, smuggling drugs for a cartel partly because it enables him to spend the money benevolently. These moral conundrums arise a lot.

It was a little weird in some scenes, seeing Eastwood surrounded by women a fraction of his age; probably wishful thinking on his part. Even so, the movie shows how the old man got more and more into the business, resulting in some tense incidents. In addition to Eastwood, there's good support from Laurence Fishburne, Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest, Andy Garcia and Taissa Farmiga.