Plot: What’s it about?
Praise must be given to actor Matthew McConaughey. He has begun to take on more challenging roles. This is a welcome change from the more disposable romantic comedies he starred in over the past several years. I enjoyed his performances in The Lincoln Lawyer, Killer Joe and The Paperboy to name a few. Here he plays the title character. Mud lives out in the woods and is waiting to reunite with an old girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) so he can take off. He lives in a boat in the woods stranded up in a tree. When two young boys Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) discover him in the woods, Mud makes a deal with them. If they bring him food and other supplies, he’ll pay them. One of the boys is skeptical at first, but reluctantly agrees when Ellis wants to help him. When they see his footprints they notice crosses in them. “They’re to ward off evil spirits” Mud tells them. McConaughey can do this role in his sleep and he does a fine job here. His heavy southern accent might even be too much for some. Looking at the posters for the film (which is repeated for this Bluray) one might assume it’s a thriller of some sort. It shows McConaughey standing on a beach reaching for a gun in his back pocket. He wears a dingy, stained button up shirt and has a menacing look on his face. While there are thriller elements, this is first and foremost a coming of age story. Mud’s story is secondary to the young boys. Ellis develops a crush on an older high school girl and we learn a good bit about their family life. I enjoyed those elements, but I found Mud’s story more interesting. As the film develops we learn more of what Mud is really up to. I won’t reveal the plot specifics as it would spoil a few but I will say I was intrigued.
Writer/Director Jeff Nichols keeps things moving at a nice pace. The film has a pending urgency, but there are also several nice quieter moments as well. The acting is strong across the board. McConaughey delivers a riveting performance here. The two young boys also deliver great strong work here as well. Mud is the kind of film that we don’t see a lot of any more. It tells a fairly simple story centering around a small group of people. There is a scene in a snake pit near the end of the film that had me on edge, it’s an effective sequence nicely done. It is a very good film, but not a perfect one. For starters, it’s a bit too long. At over two hours, there are a few scenes that run too long. There are some scenes that get repetitive. There is also a shootout near the end that gets a bit predictable too. Still, these are minor complaints in an otherwise solid film. It’s also a nice contrast to the bigger budget summer blockbusters. I always enjoy seeing a film with a nice story and strong emphasis on character development. I hope McConaughey continues to choose roles like this. He is better at playing characters with a dark side than he is in crappy romantic roles. Mud is very worth your time.
Video: How’s it look?
Lionsgate has delivered a stunning AVC encoded HD transfer here. This is a 2.35:1 transfer and makes great use of the widescreen format. Shooting it in the wider frame, you can really absorb more of the visuals than a smaller ratio would permit. There is some very nice scenery here, taking advantage of the Arkansas setting. The woodsy area where Mud resides shows strong detail in several of the scenes. There was no grain or debris detected and colors were always accurate. This film doesn’t feature the best looking individuals, but it does a great job presenting them here. I noticed little details such as a few bugs in the headlights of a pickup truck. This is a solid transfer, nothing to complain about here.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD 5.1 track is nice, but don’t expect the most explosive track either. The track is very detailed in many of the quieter scenes though. The ripples of waves splashing in the background are very nice and the sound of limbs dropping could also be detected. Dialogue was always precise and audible. The climax is when the rear channels really kick in though. This is a nice track that does justice to the film.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Lionsgate has provided a few nice features here. The disc begins with previews for other Lionsgate titles.
- Audio Commentary – Jeff Nichols provides an informative track. He has strong passion for the film and provides good notes.
- A personal Tale (11:37) Discusses the desire to get the film made and the inspiration. Not a bad feature.
- The Arkansas Ensemble (7:11) Discusses the cast of the film
- Southern Authenticity (6:14) This goes over the production design and look of the film.
- The Snake Pit (1:30) Looks at the snake pit scene from late in the film.
- Digital/UltraViolet Copy
