...oh, the cherished memories of pre-teen summers' past...the freedom...the adventure...the self-discovery...the sense of reckless curiosity...riding that fine line between daring and dangerous. For myself, such adventure included braving and exploring the dry, barren landswells, which made up the Southern California Pomona hillside, near where I once resided, in my youth...regretfully, now overrun by generic, Stepford village trac-housing. Me and my motley crew of friends would sneak into the cattle strewn corrals, beneath these hills...taking the chance of angry wayward, rock-salt-shotgun-armed ranchers in helicopters, overhead (...truth be known, they couldn't hit the side of a barn, from point blank range, the bastards)...hiking up to the hills, and camping out, knowing full well that wild wolves populated the thicketed hill crevices...then, coming back down the next day, to the streets & abode-structured, rural 'civilization', with shoeboxes filled with tarantulas (...oh, how Mom LOVED that...). It is a boy's world, not all that far removed from this...a world filled with danger and intrigue...which inescapably springboards into the chillingly compelling, Southern fried drama, "Mud"...
...Ellis, and his best friend Neckbone seem to have found themselves dead-determined upon a potentially bountiful quest; bound for a small island, just off the Mississippi River, it seems that they have gotten reliable word that an abandoned boat is steadfast stuck in a tree, as the result of heavy flooding in the area, some time previous. Elated at having found the boat...ideally positioned in the heavy branches, like a treehouse...they eagerly, albeit cautiously investigate the interior; however, before they triumphantly raise a flag of possession, the boys discover that someone appears to be actually living on the dilapidated, leaf-fettered boat. Upon further investigation, on the shores of the island, near the thicket of trees, where the lofted boat lies, they happen upon a lean, lanky and grimy-looking sort of stranger...who greets them happenstance, and calls himself merely 'Mud'. Apprehensive, but brave faced, the boys draw out of Mud, that he is harboring himself covertly on the island, supposedly waiting for someone; despite having doubts about the mysterious drifter, and thinking that there is much more to him, than meets the eye...especially in finding out that he is armed...the boys strike a deal with Mud: The boat, for some food. However, as events unfold, and things progress, it becomes clear that Mud is a much more desperate character, than he purports to be; he goes against the deal made between him & the boys, and instead, seductively enlists their aid, in an effort to pull the boat from the tree, salvage it, and make it operational, for a proposed fast getaway. With word about town, spreading about the local populous, it becomes apparent that Mud is hiding out from both lawful and unlawfully vengeful forces, who are doggedly in pursuit of him, as the result of a murder, he is admittedly attributed to. And the inspiration...the very reason of the instigated murder stems from a wayward trashy waif of a sometimes girlfriend, who is revealed to be the person that Mud is impatiently waiting for...and reportedly still in love with. Clearly, the boys reluctantly find themselves caught up in a dire situation, far beyond the mere summertime adventure, they had anticipated...drawn deeper into a quadmire of mystery, which they are unable to fully understand...and yet, will invariably change their lives...
...the obvious, albeit rustically charming 'coming of age' story aside, the irresistible flavor of this gripping and compelling serving of intrigue, is pure Southern down-home, hiding a sticky, underlining syrup of suspense and corruption, that seethes through and soaks into the storyline 'floorboards', like crude oil...creeping along...slowly, relentlessly...a visually visceral experience, not soon forgotten. Uncomfortably eerie, hypnotically seductive and underliningly disturbing...easily grabbing all within witness, steadfast...as readily as the alluringly unstable situation at hand, latches onto the protagonist boys herein, this excursion into mystery and intrigue is deliciously thick with atmosphere and character, in both locale and performances. Showcased here, in the desperate, enigmatic role of Mud, actor Matthew McConaughey deftly affords the viewer an intriguing and somewhat sympathetic, albeit seductively and manipulatively dangerous characterization...a man clearly capable of nefarious acts, if forced into a corner...and yet, in matters of love, he seems very much like an emotionally stunted child, with his simple, though misdirected concept of love appearing not that far removed from that of the two young boys, whom he encounters. Underlinglyly finding a connection, in that respect, young and upcoming actor Ty Sheridan also shines oh-so brilliantly, in his performance of Ellis. His own lessor mature views on love, in light of events that transpire all around him, are understandably undeveloped at his young age, and at the same time, quite in conflict. Ellis is drawn to Mud, not merely in his sense of mystery, but also in the sense that he appreciates the seemingly devoted, albeit estranged love, which Mud claims exists between himself and Junipur (...actress Reese Witherspoon, drawing upon her independent-film roots here, and regrettfully, somewhat ill-used in this film), the girl whom Mud is anxiously waiting for. At the same time, Ellis frustratingly fails to grasp the concept of why his own well-intentioned affections are refused by an older high school girl, who earlier, expresses momentary appreciation, when Ellis chivalrously steps in and defends her against an abusive boyfriend. And if all that wasn't enough, the hapless lad has to contend with abusively estranged parents, who have fallen out of love, and as the result of the parent's impending separation, they stand to lose their waterbourne home on the river...
...distinctively wrought with a bevy of eclectically atmospheric and complex characters, shrouded in mystery, and entrenched in the most underliningly devious, and often self-serving behavior...good, bad and all points in-between...under most harrowing of situations, "Mud" takes...or perhaps the more appropriate word is 'drags' the unprepared viewer through a most hypnotically seductive and creepily disturbing sequence of events, which ultimately culminates in violence and tragedy. It's "Stand by Me", by way of "Badlands", but the hauntingly brilliant melding of concepts makes for an extraordinary film experience, not to be missed...
No comments:
Post a Comment