“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for everything.” - Earl Stone
The Mule is a based-on-a-true-story crime drama directed by the one and only Clint Eastwood, and stars Clint Eastwood as 90 year old drug mule Earl Stone. Also starring are Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, Andy García, Laurence Fishburne, Taissa Farmiga, Dianne Wiest, and Alison Eastwood. The story follows Stone, who, dealing with family problems and financial difficulty, turns to running drugs to make a quick buck. Meanwhile, Agent Colin Bates (Cooper) is investigating how all of these drugs are getting from one place to another, and who could be running them.
I started getting into Clint Eastwood’s films a couple years ago when I watched The Outlaw Josey Wales for the first time. Ever since then, it’s safe to say that I have been a fan of his work. However, with the way his last film The 15:17 To Paris turned out, I was a little worried that the director was losing his touch. Man, was I wrong. This movie was much, much better than I expected it to be, and Eastwood showed that even at 88 years old, he can still direct like a pro.
To start out with the things I liked about this film, I love how Clint Eastwood delves into character development. A lot of this film is just Eastwood driving around in his pickup truck to deliver drugs. This may sound boring, and I have talked to people who have seen the movie who did think that it was boring. Make no mistake, this is not an action movie. There is little violence or onscreen bloodshed, there are no explosions, no gunfights or scenes of hand-to-hand combat, and while there is one chase scene, it is not your typical blood-sweat-and-tears, high octane, chase scene where muscular men drive tricked-out cars, and perform stunts at high speeds. This is no action movie. This is a drama. This is a character study, and to those that say that this is a boring film, I have to disagree with you. This film goes deep into studying Earl Stone’s relationships with himself, and other people. It shows his relationships with his family, people in the cartel, general citizens, and even cops. It shows how his mind works, and how he goes about his life. There is plenty to think about in this movie, and I think that the people who found the film boring didn’t really understand what the film was truly about at its core.
One thing that I thought was cool about The Mule was Earl Stone’s ability to turn people to root for him. He unknowingly makes his enemies pull for him in the end, and although he can seem gruff at times, he is still a loveable character that you really feel for. I love flawed characters in films, and Eastwood’s Stone is very much a flawed character. He’s messed up in the past, and he knows that. But he is trying to right his wrongs, and as the film goes on, you can clearly see that.
Probably my favorite part of this movie is the use of humor throughout. As I said earlier, this is a drama. It’s a serious film that deals with serious issues. But it also manages to be incredibly funny, too. Eastwood is constantly making jokes throughout, and each one works perfectly. Another wonderful thing about The Mule is the dialogue. I made note earlier that there are no action scenes in the film. All of the action in this movie is thanks to the dialogue. The verbal arguments and conversations are riveting, and they build the suspense. I could watch Clint Eastwood talk to people all day, and never get bored. Another little thing that I liked, was the cinematography. I thought that the camerawork was very good overall, and there are some wonderful landscape shots. The music was also fantastic, and evoked an old-fashioned country western feel.
Now as for the things that I didn’t care for, I thought that Clint’s real life daughter Alison’s performance as Earl Stone’s daughter was flat, and a little annoying. I didn’t care for her character, and there were a few scenes with her in them that had me shaking my head. Also, there were a few lines that Taissa Farmiga had that sounded incredibly forced, and the delivery of said lines was pretty terrible. There were not many flaws with this film but the very few flaws that were there made me cringe a little bit.
As a whole, I really liked The Mule. I enjoyed it very much, and I think that people who like Clint Eastwood movies will love it too. This is definitely a movie that will tend to gravitate toward an older demographic, and I think it’s nice that we still have quality films that older people, young people with old souls, and cinephiles alike can go to and enjoy. My suggestion to you is this: if you decide to see this movie, try to look for the deeper messages at the core of the film as opposed to expecting pulse-pounding action. If you do this, you may discover that witty dialogue and thought provoking characters can be just as thrilling as good fight scene. I encourage you to give this one a try. You may just find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Rating: R
Grade: A-
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