Mud once again reminds us that Matthew McConaughey has talent and can wear a shirt… Set in Nichols home state of Arkansas,Mudrisks a semi-autobiographical coming of age story in its beginning.
Nichols even casts local boys Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland to add to that flavor of authenticity.
This is about a man named Mud and his impact on a young life.
Ellis (Sheridan) lives on the Mississippi River.
Literally, he works as a river rat with his father (Ray McKinnon) from their houseboat.
Unfortunately, their way of life is changing.
Mud has set-up a small life for himself on a wooded island in the middle of the river.
All he has on his person are a shirt, handgun and a mischievous smile.
His smooth talking affability quickly enlists the kids as his errand boys.
How can a 14-year-old with divorcing parents resist?
Mudis a moody tale of river-wise kids who get caught up way out of their depth.
Sheridan especially develops Ellis into a scruffy kid who longs for stability and a reaffirmation of love between adults.
It helps that this guy is intensely realized by McConaughey.
The film shifts tonally halfway through from being Elliss coming of age story to Muds much darker morality play.
One performance that gets to shine late in the film is Sam Shepard as Tom Blankenship.
The crotchety old neighbor of Ellis, Tom is the reason Mud has washed up on these banks again.
In trouble yet again, Mud has come home for his surrogate fathers help.
A dark cloud threatens to drown all the characters inMudsthird act.
Such clarity keeps the movie afloat in even the most violent waters.
Rating:
4 out of 5
