Mud ****
The innocence of youth set against the sweltering heat of a hot and humid summer in the American south is captured beautifully in this slow and hypnotic drama.
It centres on two fourteen year old boys who encounter a dangerous but charismatic fugitive called Mud (Matthew McConaughey) who is hiding from bounty hunters on a remote island on the Mississippi. After striking up a friendship they agree to help him evade his pursuers whilst trying to reunite him with his one true love Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).
It is as though time stands still in this slow burning Mark Twain style adventure written and directed by Jeff Nichols.
Whilst Nichols last film, the Cannes Grand Prize award-winning Take Shelter, focused on fear this one is about love although it also deals with sacrifice and forgiveness reflecting themes in Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Teenaged Ellis (Tye Sheridan) is desperately searching for an example of enduring love and one that works and fervently believes Mud and Juniper are the real deal. So with his trusted best friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) they pull out all the stops to ensure the pair meets up again. But youthful exuberance and optimism inevitably leads to disappointment and heartbreak as reality fails to live up to expectations.
Sheridan, who received his acting break in Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and newcomer Lofland are the true gems of this film. They are captivating to watch delivering natural and unaffected performances. You believe in their candour and optimistic intent and root hard for their happy ending.
They steal every scene from McConaughey who is splendid as Mud a charming but lethal man on the run and which is easily his best portrayal to date. In typical McConaughey fashion he takes his top off and shows off his six pack but the character’s lucky yellow shirt seems to have special powers of its own turning Mud into the boys’ protector and hero.
Witherspoon is initially unrecognisable but is terribly convincing as white trailer trash Juniper who can twist any man round her little finger and persuade them to do her bidding.
The rest of the fabulous supporting cast includes Sam Shepard and Michael Shannon in this his third Nichols film along with the natural landscape which took on a life of its own.
Masterfully directed by Nichols and full of characters that you grow to care for this is an enthralling and intelligent potboiler which ends in a nail-biting showdown.
But it is one of those films that makes you yearn for a simpler and more innocent time while making you mourn the loss of innocence and guileless youth.
4/5 stars
By Maria Jose
