BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Matthew McConaughey plays a man named “Mud”. He had a great history of movies and his recent run has been one of the most impressive streaks in recent memory. He has kicked major ass in everything, but people are JUST realizing this. This 2012 movie is another example of “why didn’t you people see his brilliance earlier?” The story doesn’t sound like much, but it is. Two young teenage boys in the bo-dunk area of Arkansas. They run amuck and play in the woods and do a whole bunch of unsafe stuff that kids their age typically do or want to do in that situation. Some kids play video games and some kids go in the woods and explore the world around them. It’s going more and more the route of the lazy kids playing games, but some kids still get to experience nature and doing stupid things in the woods. These kids get that benefit of life. They end up meeting a man named “Mud”, who claims to be from the area. He asks the boys for food and they start to help him out before finding out he’s a fugitive. The kids don’t rat him out and start to hang out with him more and more. He’s there to meet up with his old girlfriend and try to make sense of his life. He keeps waiting and looking out for her as the boys keep helping him and getting in over their head. Eventually, the boys are faced with the decision to keep helping this man as “Mud” is forced to make big decisions of his own. It doesn’t sound like much, but this movie is pretty damn stellar. The performances of the two young boys, Jacob Lofland especially, stand out. The rest of the cast is made up of A-list performers like Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson, Reece Witherspoon, Sam Shepard, Ray McKinnon, Joe Don Baker, and other talented folks. It’s not a big blockbuster action flick. It doesn’t have any big political or social commentary. There is not a big flash to this movie at all. It’s a just a story that captivates you and forces you to enter the world going on and continue to wonder what’s “really” going on. We slowly put the pieces together and the result is, “yeah, Matthew McConaughey rules”. The story is well written and well-paced, the direction is sharp, and the cast is great. I really recommend this movie to people who appreciate a good drama. Check it out, folks! A-
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