Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Writer-director: Jeff Nichols, Roadshow Entertainment.
This tale of wisdom gained and innocence lost is a little lengthy, but worth the perseverance.
Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) are 14-year-old best friends who live along the Mississippi River in Arkansas. Neckbone helps his uncle trawl for oysters, while Ellis lives with his parents on a houseboat. The boys enjoy sneaking off on their own to visit a nearby island that contains a marooned boat, serving as a tree house.
One morning, the boys go to their island to discover that someone else is there. Unbeknownst to them, this island is inhabited by ‘Mud’ (Matthew McConaughey, (Dallas Buyers Club, The Lincoln Lawyer), who is on the run from police and bounty hunters.
Mud tells the boys fantastic stories, including how he had to kill a man to save his true love Juniper (Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line, Wild). The man’s family had been chasing him ever since. Skeptical but intrigued, Ellis and Neckbone agree to help reunite Mud with Juniper. They feel motivated and assist with food and escape plans.
A heart-warming film with strong performances, especially from the two boys, Sarah Paulson and Ray McKinnon as the troubled parents of Ellis, Sam Shephard as their taciturn neighbour over the creek and Michael Shannon as Neckbone’s uncle.
Coupled with sweeping cinematography by Adam Stone and a terrific music score from David Wingo, this is a wonderful, coming-of-age drama – along with some of life’s rough lessons.
Modern-day independent American cinema sees one of the more thought-provoking filmmakers – Nichols (Take Shelter, Shotgun Stories) – handling the substance in this film with exceptional style.
