With only three features Jeff Nichols has cemented his reputation as a writer-director to be reckoned with. Mud is a skillful blend of love, coming-of-age and revenge story which takes place in Arkansas, an old- fashioned part of America where the young still call their elders 'sir' and just about everyone can tie a bowline or fix a car.
Building on his superb performances in Killer Joe and Magic Mike, Matthew McConaughey stars as the eponymous Mud, a mysterious fugitive marooned on a Mississippi island, where he dreams of reuniting with his beloved Juniper (an authentically trashy Reese Witherspoon).
On one of their boating adventures two intrepid boys, Ellis and Neckbone (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland), stumble upon a speedboat which is somehow stuck up a tree. They discover that it belongs to Mud, and after a nervy initial encounter the boys form a clandestine bond with him. They make a deal: the boat in return for food.
We know that there must be sinister reasons for someone to be out here alone. But the boys, barely teenagers, come from unstable backgrounds and are lone children in their homes. Mud treats them like adults and endears himself to them. The boys are easily charmed and therefore have no reason to be suspicious.
Nichols's film, as with his Take Shelter, develops the story gradually. The plot is revealed sparsely, incrementally, which keeps us guessing. And then follows one of the most sudden and heart-pounding endings you're likely to see. Another great American director, Sam Peckinpah, was famous for the same technique.
We first suspect then learn that Mud is on the run for a cold-blooded murder. The way he justifies his action is especially chilling. Instead of condemning him, he makes us – or at least me – sympathise with him. That's the genius of McConaughey's performance – he has to be simultaneously hateful and likable.
There are vestiges of his Joe Cooper from Killer Joe. He whispers dialogue through an Arkansas accent, and is no less arresting despite a dirty constitution and chipped front teeth.
Nichols was overjoyed with the two boys. With good reason. Both deliver prodigious performances, particularly Tye Sheridan, who assumes the lead role for much of the film and clearly has a future in movies. He is moved by Mud's love for Juniper, and helps them to reunite to give meaning to his own precarious life.
Dressed in a palette of autumnal browns and yellows, the film has an authentic quality. Nichols directs with a keen eye for detail and mood. There are frequent shots of eels and crawling insects – animal metaphors, another Peckinpah trademark.
I have a small criticism. We learn that Mud's dreamy perception of his relationship with Juniper is a delusion. It is implied that he is as violent as the many men she has been with during her time with him, and that her departure from him is a recurring event. I found it difficult to believe that somebody as selfish and deceitful as Mud would be this 'committed' to anyone.
Building on his superb performances in Killer Joe and Magic Mike, Matthew McConaughey stars as the eponymous Mud, a mysterious fugitive marooned on a Mississippi island, where he dreams of reuniting with his beloved Juniper (an authentically trashy Reese Witherspoon).
On one of their boating adventures two intrepid boys, Ellis and Neckbone (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland), stumble upon a speedboat which is somehow stuck up a tree. They discover that it belongs to Mud, and after a nervy initial encounter the boys form a clandestine bond with him. They make a deal: the boat in return for food.
We know that there must be sinister reasons for someone to be out here alone. But the boys, barely teenagers, come from unstable backgrounds and are lone children in their homes. Mud treats them like adults and endears himself to them. The boys are easily charmed and therefore have no reason to be suspicious.
Nichols's film, as with his Take Shelter, develops the story gradually. The plot is revealed sparsely, incrementally, which keeps us guessing. And then follows one of the most sudden and heart-pounding endings you're likely to see. Another great American director, Sam Peckinpah, was famous for the same technique.
We first suspect then learn that Mud is on the run for a cold-blooded murder. The way he justifies his action is especially chilling. Instead of condemning him, he makes us – or at least me – sympathise with him. That's the genius of McConaughey's performance – he has to be simultaneously hateful and likable.
There are vestiges of his Joe Cooper from Killer Joe. He whispers dialogue through an Arkansas accent, and is no less arresting despite a dirty constitution and chipped front teeth.
Nichols was overjoyed with the two boys. With good reason. Both deliver prodigious performances, particularly Tye Sheridan, who assumes the lead role for much of the film and clearly has a future in movies. He is moved by Mud's love for Juniper, and helps them to reunite to give meaning to his own precarious life.
Dressed in a palette of autumnal browns and yellows, the film has an authentic quality. Nichols directs with a keen eye for detail and mood. There are frequent shots of eels and crawling insects – animal metaphors, another Peckinpah trademark.
I have a small criticism. We learn that Mud's dreamy perception of his relationship with Juniper is a delusion. It is implied that he is as violent as the many men she has been with during her time with him, and that her departure from him is a recurring event. I found it difficult to believe that somebody as selfish and deceitful as Mud would be this 'committed' to anyone.