Plot Synopsis:
Two young boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland) encounter a man (Matthew McConaughey) living alone on an island and form a pact to help reunite him with the love of his life Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Also starring Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson and Ray McKinnon.
Official Trailer:
Full Review:
Considering it was ‘Make Single People Feel Bad About Themselves’ Day (AKA Valentine’s Day) on Friday, I thought I would review a film that suits the occasion. Although this is an unconventional choice for most, I highly recommend viewing Jeff Nichols’s cinematic triumph Mud with your loved one next Valentine’s Day since it is a far better alternative to McCounaughey’s other romance movies! But seriously, whether it is Valentine’s or not, you need to watch Mud no matter what as it is a brilliant study of the emotionally damaging effects of love and affection.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe) gives yet another charismatic performance as the title (but not lead) character Mud. His acting in this role is very down to earth and somewhat minimalistic, which makes sympathising with his character so much easier. And ladies, despite showing off his abs during one scene, he doesn’t particularly have the nicest teeth in this role. Oh well. You win some, you lose some!
You might’ve noticed how I had to point out how McConaughey is not the lead character. The reason for this is because, from my perspective, he really isn’t the main character. Sure, he is the storyline’s most pivotal point and McConaughey has the star power, but I believe Tye Sheridan’s character Ellis is the film’s main focus since he is given the most screen time and has to face more dilemma than anyone else.
With that being said, Sheridan (Tree Of Life) is absolutely spectacular in this role, giving the best child actor performance I’ve seen since Christian Bale’s outstanding performance in Empire Of The Sun. If that’s not high praise, then I don’t know what is!. He is able to express feelings of happiness, sadness, despair, anger and heartbreak throughout the film to a sublime level, perfectly complimenting the talent of McConaughey. This kid is going places!.
Jacob Lufland also gives a great performance as Ellis’s best friend Neckbone who also gives us some comic relief to allow the audience to breath between the more electrifying and dramatic sequences. Despite having very little to work with, Reese Witherspoon contributes another good performance to the movie’s top notch acting portfolio as McConaughey’s on-screen sweetheart Juniper. Michael Shannon (who has worked with Jeff Nichols previously) also makes an appearance, but unfortunately his talents aren’t fully capitalised upon since he plays such a minor role, which is a real shame but because he is still able to give a decent performance, it ultimately doesn’t hurt the film that much.
On another note, the cinematography is as gorgeous as the orange glow from an early morning sunrise. At no point does this film appear ugly or unattractive as every frame is aesthetically wonderful and glorious. Perfectly capturing the atmosphere of sunny Americana, the soundtrack consists of very well chosen country and folk music you can’t’ help but tap your foot along to. Watching (as well as listening to) Mud takes you on a luxurious miniature holiday, immersing you further into the film more than you could imagine. Plus, Jeff Nichols’s direction really adds to the visual beauty by providing many shots showcasing the natural environments surrounding our characters in all of their glory.
Speaking of Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories), who directed and wrote this film, the writing is phenomenal! Rich with raw emotion and superb dialogue for one to sink his/her teeth into, the story is a fantastic analysis of the false representations of love and how reality is a harsh truth that always advocates the destruction of the delusion of a perfect relationship that we can ALL relate to. Thanks to this, Mud ends up being an extremely heartwarming and occasionally heartbreaking tale of true love which makes us question the lengths one will go to in order to keep their other half safe. In turn, this will pull you and your other half closer together more so than ever before, and hopefully make you cherish the love of your life for as long as you’re together.
And that’s why I’m recommending this as a movie to watch with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Mud does something that every single RomCom cannot do even if they tried; it makes you feel something. You and your companion will not finish the film with the thoughts “Why can’t our relationship be like that?!” but instead your relationship will benefit from knowing the love between the two of you will never die. Granted, I can’t tell you that with experience since the only companion I have at the minute is my cat! We’re actually going through some troubles at this moment of time, but hopefully all the fighting and arguing will end very soon … She won’t even talk to me!!
Fergie’s Final Fifteen:
A riveting drama that tugs on the heart strings like no other. A romantic triumph.
FERGIE FILMS 
The Craggus
19/03/2014 at 19:26
Good review. I enjoyed “Mud” a lot and had written a review myself but at the end scrapped it because I didn’t feel I had enough to say about it (and had kind of written myself into a corner comparing it to the Huckleberry Finn/ Tom Sawyer works of Mark Twain), but I really enjoyed your take on it.