Mud

I was pretty engaged in this film, particularly in the day-to-day existence of the boys who are at the center of it. It has an element of the "Stand by Me" mentality. The boys are bright and real and find themselves having to make decisions on a moral code that they have made for themselves. They are, for the most part, realistic about things, but the culture they are in is so boring and so lacking in stimulation that when the intriguing figure of Mud comes along, they are ready for adventure. Unfortunately, there are simply so many things that just aren't believable. Their access to everything they need when they need it. The ease of transport. The lack of suspicion from others (I know there is some). They also have an incredible amount of mobility. Then there is the contrived "High Noon" conclusion that is bound to happen. It is, itself, pretty demanding of our suspension of disbelief. Still, it keeps us entertained, the acting is quite admirable, particularly the supporting characters, but I expected a little more.

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.

If you're like me, you greet the phrase "coming of age story" with something between a polite nod and an gaping, open mouthed yawn. While "Mud" falls into that category, it's easily one of the best, if not the best, in its class. This is because nothing about it is predictable; there's no sappy cliché message, and although it's mostly tame regarding violence, some parts are extremely tense, menacing and disturbing. Ultimately, yes, it's a coming of age story, but it's a slightly dark version which is aimed more at adults than kids.

The plot in a sentence: Two 14-year-old boys discover a mysterious loner living on an island on the Mississippi River, and as secrets unravel they realize they've gotten into something much deeper than they had bargained for.

Although our protagonist is a 14-year-old boy "Ellis" (excellently, and I mean EXCELLENTLY, played by Tye Sheridan), this isn't just a 14-year-old's story. In the DVD interviews, director/writer Jeff Nichols said he chose a young teen as the protagonist because he felt that our early teens are when we feel emotions the strongest. Everything is amplified, and later in life we rarely feel that surge the same. And so, through the eyes of Ellis, we see a story unfold in a grippingly powerful way.

Themes touch on loyalty, responsibility & fighting for what you believe in. But the central theme is love in its many definitions. We learn that our mysterious stranger (Matthew McConoughy) is driven solely and obsessively by thought of his lost love, and in a parallel fashion, Ellis is falling in love with his first crush. In both cases, he sees love as a storybook ideal. What he gets may not be what he had imagined, and this creates a powerful, driving conflict in the story.

There is action, suspense, artistry and some beautifully shot, poetic moments brought to life through the camera as well as McConoughy's fantastic performance. Even more so, the setting of rural Arkansas along the Mississippi is something you can't miss. In almost a Werner Herzog type vein ("Aguirre the Wrath of God", "Fitzcarraldo") where the ominous natural setting becomes a silent character in the film, director Nichols really knew how to immerse us in an all-encompassing, dense alternate reality, set apart from the real world as if time were frozen since the days of Huck Finn. That alone is worth the price of admission. Definitely if you're a fan of Herzog you must see this film.

Other directors and films I'd compare this to include Wim Wenders ("Until the End of the World" with its vast Australian desolation), Lasse Hallström ("Safe Haven" set in Southport, NC or even "Chocolat" set in a timeless French village on a river) and of course the Rob Reiner masterpiece "Stand By Me". If you liked any of those flicks, you won't be disappointed here.

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.

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?