Synopsis: Read on IMDB
Should you watch this movie? When I first started writing this review I was still confused on whether I liked it or not. Today, as this review gets posted I feel this is the type of film you watch and let marinate for a bit and then get a true appreciation for. So yes, you should watch!
Two teenage boys, Ellis and Neckbone, travel to a small island where they find a boat stuck in a tree. Just when they think they can claim it for themselves they realize someone has been living there, Mud, a fugitive who grew up in the area and is there waiting to reunite with his girlfriend, Juniper. The boys make a pact with Mud to help him fix the boat and make sure he can meet and leave with his long lost love.
The movie is quite well made and has some pretty good performances. You can’t expect less from the likes of Matthew McConaughey as the title character and Reese Witherspoon as Juniper. The actual story is more a coming of age tale about the two kids, more specifically Ellis (played by Tye Sheridan). It is in the end, a story about love and how it can lift you up just as much as it can break you. The plot is pretty male-centric, but showing the men in a rather vulnerable postition rather than your usual strong, macho, character. The women are less fortunate in their portrayal (one critic very aptly said their are either “shrews, liars, and/or emasculators”), which is the only downside I’ve found to this movie. However it is an important element to telling the story.
This is the type of movie that will win awards and the hearts of the critics. It is a pretty slow-paced, but surprisingly not boring at all. I don’t remember a part where I thought “uggh, get on with it already”. I was quite engaged and interested in what was going to happen next. If your system is pumped full of action movies, it is a bit harder to intuitively know if you like the movie or not. That’s why it took a while before I felt comfortable about writing this review.
Paola’s mood after watching this movie:
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