Movie #119- "Mud" (2012)

Matthew McConaughey is craving out a nice career as his choices seem to have improved over the last couple years.  We first met him in 1993 as the quotable Wooderson in "Dazed and Confused."  A surprising variety of film genres followed only to lead to a world of rom-com hell.  Something changed at start of the decade with McConaughey making a step in a different direction, appearing in films with again a varied scope.
"Mud" has been a film I've been recommending although it is for more than just McConaughey.  Here, he takes his slow, laid-back drawl, and adds a touch of menace with a dash of hopeless romantic (not in a rom-com way).  The film is set in Arkansas, on the Mississippi River, where two young boys find a boat wedged in a tree.  They claim the boat, only to find McConaughey (Mud) using it as a home.  Mud is on the run from the law as well as waiting for the woman he loves, played by Reese Witherspoon.  But this a combustible relationship, one in which bad thing happen when they get together.  In Mud's mind, they belong together, even though he is painfully aware of the trouble the relationship brings.
At the center of the film, is Tye Sheridan (Ellis) and Jacob Lofland (Neckbone), the boys who meet Mud and eventually strike a deal with him.  It's a coming of age movie with the boys learning a lesson of love and loyalty.  While the storyline may be different, I felt "Mud" shared some DNA with "Stand by Me."  This is a well-rounded cast, with strong performances by the mentioned male trio and Witherspoon, going against type, as a woman looking for love from anyone that would have her.
A pleasant experience for late summer viewing.


Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 113