'MUD'

'MUD' (PG-13) (4 STARS) (HIGHEST RATING)

Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinney.

When I was young I lived on a farm in Ivanhoe, Illinois before we moved during my 6th grade year. I remember being out in the middle of nowhere in the back of our little strip mall and gas station. The vast weeds and grass, the horses we had, working at the gas station for my father and sneaking into my father's rock club to watch the adults and rock bands play. I remember in the summer cutting grass, walking across a few streets to play with friends. That feeling of innocence and beauty of nature and simplicity with a little darkness and reality sneaking around the corner to confront us. I thought about my childhood and these images and remembrances while watching the beautiful, haunting and powerful "Mud".

"Mud" is the folksy, beautiful and then dark new movie by the very talented writer and director Jeff Nichols. His first movie is the haunting, chilling and beautifully shot "Take Shelter" with Michael Shannon, who has a small role here. That movie is one of the only movies in the past ten years that has shook me to my core. "Mud" is not as strong but it is still a beautiful coming of age and love story that touched me in a different way than "Take Shelter" did. I thought of a few writers and legendary movie directors while watching "Mud" and thinking back on "Take Shelter". Jeff Nichols has the grace, poetry and natural storytelling skills as a John Ford or a Mark Twain. "Mud" is like a great novel as it lulls us into it's magical and touching story.

We also witness the best performance by an actor that others had given up on with Matthew McConaughey's performance of the title character. Mud is a mysterious man who two kids, Ellis and Neckbone, discover on a deserted beach after they stake a claim to an abandoned boat that has been left up high on a huge tree. Ellis is going through his parent's divorce and Neckbone lives with an uncle who may not be the best father figure. The boys strike up a friendship with Mud who looks homeless and must have a back story. He does as he is waiting for the woman he loves, Juniper, who Mud has promised to come back to so they can go away together. The boys find Juniper staying at a hotel in town and they will discover the real story behind Mud and Juniper and why Mud is alone, staying in that abandoned boat.

The power of this movie starts with the recreation of time and place as the movie beautifully captures the feel of life in a small Southern town. A town full of poor but hard working and proud people and Ellis will do a lot of growing up here. I love all the characters in this movie, all fully written and realized like they are characters in a really great book. That extends to the cast of some amazing actors playing them including Sam Shepard (who is as iconic as Ed Harris is to me), my favorite actor right now Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinney, Joe Don Baker and Jacob Lofland as Neckbone. There is a reason I thought of my childhood while watching "Mud" and it is because it so wonderfully and beautifully captures that small town feel and feeling of innocence and naivety.

The movie will also get dark but not at the expense of the rest of the story and when it gets dark it reminded me of a very great, old time film noir. This is a writng job by Nichols that is smart, brilliant and full of great poetry. The film making is full of grace and poetry reminding me of Terrence Malick though I think Nichols is better. When the movie culminates in a shootout, it is so well executed and dark that it reminded me of the poetic shootouts in many a John Ford western and a hypnotic film noir. Though the power for me really comes from the journey of discovery, adventure and heartbreak Ellis will have and then the crushing nature of love that Ellis will experience in many ways.

Matthew McConaughey gives a stellar performance here as Mud and Tye Sheridan as Ellis matches him. Sheridan and Lofland continue some exciting acting coming from some talented young actors, continuing from, for example "Place Beyond The Pines". McConaughey is now on a major roll and giving the best performances by a male out there right now. He was amazing in "Killer Joe" and was robbed by the Oscars for in my mind the best supporting performance by an actor last year with "Magic Mike". Here he is even at his very best that he has been in his career slipping into the skin of Mud and becoming him, making subtle touches that are brilliant and that is my favorite type of acting. It is a performance that is as subtly powerful as a Paul Newman, Henry Fonda or a Marlon Brando performance. McConaughey is amazing here as is Nichols who is now my favorite writer in movies. With "Take Shelter" and now "Mud" he has come up with the best one two punch any writer/director has had in at least a decade.